ILLINOIS  HISTORY  AND 

Sncoln  collections 


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in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/storyofsavannaeaOObowe 


THE  STORY  OF  SAVANNA 


Alice    M.  Bowen 


THE 

STORY    of  SAVANNA 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT 

1828  —  1850 

ALSO 

THE    CLOSE    OF    THE 

ONE  HUNDREDTH  YEAR 


—  BY  — 
ALICE    M.    BOWEN 


"  Tell  ye  your  children  of  it,  and  let  your 
children  tell  their  children,  and  their 
children  another  generation.  " 

—Joel  1,  3. 


Savanna,  Illinoi 

—  1928  — 


PRINTED    BY 
TIMES-JOUR  N>  L 

SAVANNA,    ILL. 
1928 


BOUND     B' 
H  E  RTZ  BERG       E 

1       DES   MOINES. 


1  N  D  E  RY 
IA. 


lory 


lEbbtcaiton 

^Eo  the  bescenbants  of  iljs  ^xonzzxs,  tljts 
sioru  of  their  life  anb  foork  ts  bebtcateb- 


^orsfaarh 


'HIS  brief  record  of  the  Pioneers 
of  Savanna  is  written  with  the 
desire  that  the  present  generation 
and  the  generations  yet  to  come,  may 
learn  what  manner  of  men  and  women 
were  the  first  to  seek  their  homes 
in  this  far  West. 

When  it  was  suggested  that  I  put 
this  story  into  booh  form,  I  hesitated, 
for  it  was  written  with  an  intimacy 
and  informality  suitable  only  for  our 
own  community. 

However,  if  there  are  any  who 
might  enjoy  the  story  which  is  the 
result  of  patient  gleaning  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  on  my  part,  I  shall  gladly 
share  the  pleasure  with  them. 

ALICE  M.  BOWEN 


Aaron   Pierce 


*3  333  333  333  333  333  333  &&£&&&£&&&**  &*&££&*<? 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  PIONEERS 

J|KHE  city  of  Savanna  has  turned  back  the  pages 
^2^  of  its  history  one  hundred  years  to  do  honor 
and  reverence  to  those  few  hardy  pioneers  who 
came  to  the  end  of  their  journey  at  this  uninhabit- 
ed point  one  cold  November  day  in  the  year  1828. 
They  at  once  undertook  to  wrest  a  home  and  a 
living  from  the  soil,  and  from  the  natural  resources 
surrounding  them. 

The  story  of  this  pilgrimage  into  the  ♦unknown 
wilderness  begins  several  years  before  the  courage- 
ous few  reached  this  point  in  their  quest  for  a 
place  to  found  a  home  and  a  city. 

In  this  simple  story  we  shall  not  attempt  to  fol- 
low the  changes  which  had  taken  place  in  the  pos- 
session and  control  of  this  vast,  unbroken  terri- 
tory. You  are  all,  more  or  less,  familiar  with  the 
early  explorations  and  settlement  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  After  the  Revolutionary  war  this  section 
was  organized  into  the  County  of  Illinois  of  the 
Indian  Territory.  In  1809  it  was  divided  into  two 
counties.  Another  division  was  made  which  added 
four  more  counties.  The  carving  still  continued  and 
in  1818  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  union  as  a 
state. 

In  1827  Jo  Daviess  county  was  organized  and  oc- 

[     9     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

cupied  all  this  northern  section  of  Illinois.  Later 
the  counties  of  Lee,  Ogle  and  Whiteside  were  cut 
off  but  Carroll  County  still  remained  a  part  of  Jo 
Daviess  County.  In  1837  this  county  petitioned  to 
be  set  apart  from  Jo  Daviess,  but  it  was  not  until 
1839  that  it  formally  became  a  separate  county, 
with  its  own  county  officials. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1800  there  lived 
near  Boston,  Massachusetts,  a  family  by  the  name 
of  Bellows.  Among  other  children  they  had  a 
daughter,  Harriett,  who  had  been  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Boston,  and  especially  had  she  received 
a  thorough  musical  education  in  one  of  the  colleges 
of  music.  Living  neighbors  to  them  was  a  family 
by  the  name  of  Pierce  who  had  a  son  named  Aaron. 
And  it  came  about  that  young  Aaron  courted  and 
married  the  cultured  and  educated  young  Harriett 
and  they  started  out  to  seek  their  fortunes.  Rumors 
of  the  great  West  were  gradually  sifting  through 
to  the  East,  and  this  young  couple  gathered  to- 
gether what  few  articles  were  needed  and  resolute- 
ly said  good  bye  to  family  and  friends  and  turned 
their  faces  toward  the  west.  They  reached  the 
western  part  of  the  state  of  New  York  about  1815, 
having  made  the  great  distance  by  wagon  or  canal 
boat  through  the  unbroken  and  uninhabited  soli- 
tude. At  this  time  western  New  York  was  on  the 
very  outer  edge  of  civilization,  and  a  wild  forest 
occupied  only  by  Indians  and  the  native  wild  ani- 
mals. 

Here  they  halted  for  a  period  of  about  ten  years 
[     10     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

and  Mr.  Pierce  engaged  in  the  business  of  getting 
out  timber  from  the  vast  forests. 

Three  children  were  born  to  them  during  their 
sojourn  in  New  York.  Again  the  spirit  of  adven- 
ture took  possession  of  the  pioneers  and  as  news  of 
the  Illinois  country  reached  their  remote  settle- 
ment, they  turned  their  faces  westward  once  more. 
Loading  their  possessions  once  again  into  a  wagon 
and  with  a  team  of  oxen  started  out  through  the 
dense  forests,  following  Indian  trails,  camping  in 
the  wagon  at  night,  but  going  steadily  onward  and 
westward.  The  constant  terror  of  lurking  Indians 
and  the  dread  of  wild  animals  was  with  them,  be- 
sides the  anxiety  of  the  father  for  his  helpless  wife 
and  children.  After  a  journey  of  six  weeks,  they 
reached  Bond  County,  Illinois,  the  year  being  1825. 

The  story  of  these  pioneers  is  the  story  of  thou- 
sands who  were  lured  from  home  and  loved  asso- 
ciates to  make  a  home  in  the  far  West.  Just  a  dif- 
ferent setting  for  the  starting  point,  and  just  a 
little  different  course  across  the  vast  area  of  forest 
and  prairie,  and  these  first  pioneers  paved  the  way 
for  those  who  were  to  follow. 

The  southern  and  central  sections  of  Illinois 
were  being  settled  gradually,  and  the  settlements 
were  being  extended  northward  through  the  state, 
from  the  Ohio  river,  the  waterways  being  the  main 
arteries   for  transportation. 

In  Bond  County  the  Pierce  family  rented  a  farm 
which  had  a  house  and  other  improvements.  Here 
they   became    acquainted   with     two    other   pioneer 

[     U     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

families  who  had  reached  that  locality,  having 
made  the  journey  from  Kentucky.  These  two  fam- 
ilies were  George  Davidson,  his  wife  and  his  son, 
Vance,  William  Blundell  and  his  wife  who  was  a 
daughter  of  the  Davidsons.  These  names  all  be- 
came a  part  of  Savanna's  history. 

The  families  farmed  for  about  two  years  and  in 
February,  1827,  another  little  daughter  was  born 
to  the  Pierce  family.  This  daughter  was  known  to 
all  the  older  residents  of  Savanna  as  Mrs.  David 
Bowen,  a  much  loved  and  respected  gentlewoman. 

But  fever  and  ague  and  the  mosquitoes  proved 
too  much  for  these  unsettled  pioneers  and  they  de- 
cided to  cast  their  lot  together  and  start  out  once 
more  to  find  the  haven  of  peace  and  plenty  they 
were  seeking.  Having  heard  of  the  lead  mines  in 
Galena,  which  was  already  quite  a  settlement,  they 
faced  northward  this  time,  with  hopeful  hearts. 
The  hardships  endured  on  this  trip  proved  dis- 
couraging but  with  dauntless  perseverence  they 
pushed  onward  and  finally  reached  Galena.  But 
this  location  did  not  suit  them  and  after  trying 
mining  for  about  six  months  they  held  a  counsel 
and  decided  to  move  on  again.  This  time  they 
agreed  upon  a  beautiful  valley  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  which  Vance  Davidson,  who  was  quite 
a  soldier  of  fortune,  had  noticed  and  with  which 
he  had  been  enraptured  as  he  made  a  trip  on  horse- 
back from  Rock  Island  to  Galena,  a  year  previous- 
ly. So,  once  again,  the  resolute  frontiersmen  now 
loaded  their  few  possessions  and  started  out  facing 
the  lonely  trails  into  the  unknown. 

[     12     ] 


THE       STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

This  time  the  .Pierce  family,  all  huddled  into  a 
covered  wagon  drawn  by  oxen,  took  the  old  Indian 
trail  through  the  deep  woods,  led  by  Vance  David- 
son on  horseback.  Without  sign  of  human  life 
other  than  the  Indian,  they  pushed  on,  fording 
streams  and  following  trails.  But  as  they  reached 
Apple  River  they  came  across  two  men  who  were 
building  a  flour  mill.  This  was  later  used  by  the 
settlers  for  grinding  their  grain  and  was  known  as 
"Craig's"  mill.  The  place  was  afterwards  called 
"Wappello"  and  is  now  known  as  the  town  of 
Hanover. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  of  travel  they 
came  out  on  the  bluffs  above  what  is  now  Savan- 
na, and  caught  their  first  view  of  the  broad  Missis- 
sippi River.  When  they  saw  the  beautiful  valley 
spread  out  below  them  and  saw  the  clear  water  of 
the  big  river  slowly  winding  on  its  way  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  they  felt  they  had  reached  the  fairy 
land  they  had  been  seeking.  With  a  beautiful  sun- 
set in  the  west,  and  the  stillness  of  the  forest  pri- 
meval around  them  they  felt  this  would  certainly 
become  a  home.  But  it  was  necessary  to  get  from 
the  high  bluffs  above  down  to  the  valley  below. 
They  cut  down  a  tree  and  tied  it  to  the  wagon  and, 
after  unloading  the  wife  and  children,  slowly  made 
the  steep  descent  with  oxen  and  wagon.  The  point 
where  they  came  down  has  been  cut  away,  but  it 
was  the  first  ridge  north  of  the  Pinnacle. 

It  was  late  afternoon  of  a  cold  November  day 
when  this  brave  band  of  pioneers  reached  this 
point,  and  an  unoccupied  wigwam  furnished  shel- 

[     13     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ter  for  the  famity.  This  wigwam  was  somewhat 
larger  than  the  usual  one  and  had  been  used  as  a 
Council  house  by  the  Indians. 

In  the  pencil  sketch  drawn  by  Mrs.  David 
Bowen,  and  made  from  information  given  her  by 
her  mother,  Mrs.  Aaron  Pierce,  this  important  his- 
torical wigwam  was  located  east  of  what  is  now 
Main  street,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pinnacle  at  what  is 
known  on  the   charts   of  Savanna  as  Randolph  street. 

The  other  two  families  of  the  party  had  loaded 
their  possessions  on  a  flat  boat  at  Galena  and  had 
just  as  resolutely  faced  the  unknown  on  the  water, 
floating  and  paddling  down  Fever  River  to  its 
mouth  and  out  into  the  current  of  the  broad  Missis- 
sippi. With  a  few  mishaps  such  as  sticking  on  sand 
bars  a  few  times,  they  reached  this  same  point  not 
long  after  the  party  which  came  by  land.  There 
being  no  other  wigwams  handy,  these  people  camp- 
eel  on  the  flat  boat  over  night  and  the  next  day 
built  themselves  a  couple  of  wigwams  out  of  poles 
and  covered  them  with  the  tall  grass  which  was 
growing  so  abundantly  all  around,  and  found  them- 
selves nicely  sheltered  from  the  cold. 

This  date  is  the  Fourth  of  November,  1828. 

The  colony  of  settlers  consisted  of  eleven  per- 
sons in  all,  seven  adults  and  four  children. 

And,  now,  began  in  earnest  the  founding  of  a 
frontier  settlement.  The  men  began  at  once  the 
building  of  the  log  cabins.  From  logs  cut  from  the 
walnut  trees  growing  in  the  valley,  they  erected 
their  buildings.  The  Pierce  cabin  was  built  on  the 

[     14     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ground  where  the  large  brick  house  stands  on  up- 
per Main  street  and  known  as  the  old  Captain 
John  Rhodes  homestead.  The  Davidson  cabin  stood 
just  north  of  this  on  the  site  of  the  Dupuis  home- 
stead, and  William  Blundell  built  his  cabin  south 
of  the  Pierce  cabin  on  the  ground  occupied  by  the 
J.  A.  Stransky  homestead.  These  cabins  were  all 
completed  and  the  families  were  under  shelter  be- 
fore Christmas.  It  was  a  joyous  day  for  the  pioneers 
when  their  small  supply  of  household  goods  and 
still  smaller  store  of  provisions  could  be  moved  in- 
to the  new  log  cabins.  Then  it  was, 

"The  prairie  schooner,  her  anchor  cast, 

Lay  at  her  moorings,  just  before 

The  little  log  cabin's  open  door, 

And  the  household  goods,  a  meager  store 

Lay  scattered  about  on  the  puncheon  floor. 

Then  it  was  that  the  bright  young  wife 

Began  the  work  of  her  frontier  life." 

When  the  cabins  had  been  completed  and  the 
families  moved  into  them,  Aaron  Pierce,  George 
Davidson  and  Vance,  leaving  William  Blundell  to 
finish  the  building  of  the  fireplaces,  returned  to 
Bond  County  to  drive  back  the  stock  they  had  left 
when  they  moved  to  Galena.  This  stock  consisted 
of  two  or  three  cows,  same  number  horses,  and 
a  couple  of  yoke  of  oxen.  These  were  the  first  do- 
mestic animals  to  be  brought  into  Carroll  County. 
As  soon  as  this  was  accomplished  the  stock  was 
turned  out  in  the  low  valley  to  find  food  for  them- 
selves. 

[     15     ] 


THE   STORY   OF   SAVANNA 

The  men  at  once  set  to  work  clearing  the  ground 
for  the  spring  planting.  The  trees  were  felled  and 
the  cordwood  piled  in  ranks  along  the  bank  of  the 
river,  ready  to  be  sold  to  the  steamboats  in  the 
spring.  This  was  the  main  object  of  the  pioneers 
when  selecting  this  location  for  their  settlement, 


[     16     ] 


Mrs.  Aaron  Pierce 


■p»  jgg  *»*  *»*  »»3  ggj  gHMjgjgjg  ftft«  gfrfr  Efr  fr  *fr  fr  ggg  g^ 


FOUNDING  THE  HOME 

fURING  the  winter  the  fields  were  laid  out  and 
the  ground  cleared  for  planting,  occupying  the 
whole  valley  from  the  foot  of  the  Pinnacle  south- 
ward, covering  what  is  now  the  site  of  the  city  of 
Savanna,  lying  along  the  bank  of  the  river  as  far 
south  as  the  slough  and  Plum  River. 

It  proved  to  be  a  long,  hard  and  extremely  cold 
winter,  and  the  snow  lay  piled  in  great  drifts 
around  the  cabins  until  spring. 

The  provisions  were  nearly  exhausted  and  star- 
vation was  close  at  hand  and  had  it  not  been  for 
the  Indians,  who  were  quite  friendly,  there  would 
have  been  intense  suffering.  At  one  time  they  were 
reduced  to  a  small  amount  of  meal,  which  made  in- 
to gruel,  sustained  them.  The  Indians  kept  them 
supplied  with  venison,  for  deer  were  very  plenti- 
ful around  the  bluffs,  and  with  other  wild  game 
and  fowl,  which  the  settlers  received  in  exchange 
for  a  few  trinkets. 

In  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Blundell,  who  was  a  young 
bride  at  that  time,  written  many  years  afterward 
from  California,  she  tells  of  that  winter  with  its 
terrible  snow  storms,  arid  the  ice  in  the  river  not 
breaking  up  until  the  17th  of  April.  She  also  states 
that  although  spending  her  later  years  in  sunny 
California    amid    pleasant   surroundings,    she   looks 

[     17     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

back  upon  those  pioneer  years  in  Savanna  as  the 
happiest  in  her  life. 

In  the  spring  new  hope  took  possession  of  the 
settlers,  as  crops  were  planted,  and  even  the  chil- 
dren were  drafted  into  service  in  keeping  the 
crows  from  the  cornfields.  All  the  land  bloomed 
with  new  life,  and  when  the  first  steamboat  came 
up  the  river  there  was  much  rejoicing.  Although 
this  boat  carried  a  cargo  of  flour,  and  the  men 
rowed  out  to  try  to  secure  a  barrel,  as  it  was  all 
consigned  to  a  dealer  in  Galena,  they  could  not 
secure  a  pound,  they  therefore  made  the  trip  to 
Galena  and  bought  a  barrel  for  which  they  paid 
twenty-five  dollars. 

In  the  spring,  another  little  daughter  was  added 
to  the  family  of  Aaron  Pierce,  and  she  was  named 
Mary  Jane.  She  was  made  welcome  and  a  hollow 
log  was  made  into  a  cradle  for  her  comfort.  She 
afterward  became  the  wife  of  Captain  J.  B.  Rhodes, 
and  the  mother  of  the  Rhodes  brothers  whose 
names  have  been  identified  with  the  business  life 
in  Savanna  for  many  years.  She  was  the  first 
child  born  to  the  settlers  in  Carroll  county. 

In  the  fall  a  son  was  born  to  the  Blundells  and 
he  was  named  Jefferson.  The  Blundell  family  in 
later  years  pioneered  once  again,  this  time  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  so  were  lost  to  the  records  of  the  set- 
tlement. 

Another  addition  to  the  settlement  was  the  ar- 
rival of  four  old  bachelors,  at  least  they  were  call- 

[     18     1 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ed  old.  Among  the  arrivals  was  the  famous  Bob 
Upton,  a  soldier  of  fortune  and  a  carrier  of  mail 
through  the  valley  from  Rock  Island.  They  were 
welcomed  by  the  pioneers  and  urged  to  settle  in 
this  section.  John  Bernard  took  up  a  claim  and 
settled  on  what  is  now  the  Hatfield  farm  north 
of  town  on  the  river  road,  and  other  claims  in 
Washington  township  were  taken  up  by  a  man 
named  Goss  and  a  man  named  Corbin.  They  were 
not  such  courageous  frontiersmen  as  the  first  set- 
tlers who  arrived  and  Corbin  built  himself  a  home 
in  a  tree  to  keep  away  from  the  snakes. 

The  Indians  were  all  about  the  settlement,  but 
were  friendly  and  made  no  trouble.  Mrs.  Pierce 
learned  to  talk  to  them,  partly  in  their  own  lan- 
guage and  partly  by  signs  and  when  her  husband, 
who  was  of  a  fiery  disposition,  could  not  deal  with 
them,  he  called  his  wife. 

This  whole  section  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite 
camping  place  of  the  Indians,  as  in  excavating  for 
the  foundations  of  many  of  the  homes  in  the  north 
part  of  town,  large  numbers  of  Indian  relics  have 
been  found  at  a  depth  of  several  feet.  And  on  the 
out  lying  farms,  pieces  of  pottery  have  been  found. 

The  three  log  houses  stood  on  the  rise  of  ground 
on  the  west  side  of  Main  street  facing  the  river, 
and  from  their  doors  the  bank  of  the  river  sloped 
down  to  the  water's  edge  where  there  was  a  beau- 
tiful pebbly  beach. 

At  a  point  just  south  of  where  the  Burlington 
station  now  stands  was  a  level  plat  of  grassy  ground 

[     19     1 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

and  standing  solitary  in  the  middle  of  it  was  a 
large  Cottonwood  tree.  This  interesting  and  advan- 
tageous location  was  nsed  by  the  warriors  as  they 
passed  up  or  down  the  river  in  their  canoes. 

In  a  letter,  Mrs.  Blundell  tells  of  a  war  party  re- 
turning from  a  successful  campaign  against  a  tribe 
in  southern  Wisconsin,  stopping  to  celebrate  their 
victory  with  a  dance.  There  were  more  than  a  hun- 
dred Indians  camped  between  their  cabin  and  the 
river,  and  more  than  five  hundred  warriors  passed 
this  point  that  day. 

In  the  evening  they  built  their  bonfires  and  form- 
ed themselves  into  a  ring,  with  one  large  brave 
standing  in  the  center  holding  aloft  a  spear  from 
which  dangled  the  scalps  of  the  enemy  taken  in 
battle.  The  other  Indians,  forming  a  circle,  with 
their  spears  and  other  implements  of  warfare, 
danced  around  him  chanting  a  peculiar  wierd  air, 
and  keeping  time  with  their  spears.  With  bodies 
bent  half-way  over  and  with  hideous  countenances 
they  kept  this  dance  up  all  night.  But  with  the 
break  of  day  they  loaded  into  their  canoes  and  de- 
parted, much  to  the  relief  of  the  dwellers  in  the 
little  log  cabins. 

The  years  between  the  founding  of  this  frontier 
outpost  in  1828  and  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War  were  years  filled  with  toil,  combined 
with  isolation  and  hardships. 

Each  family  had  a  large  plat  of  ground  surround- 
ing the  cabin,  and  the  remaining  ground  was  laid 
out  into  twelve  acres  to  each  family,  to  clear  and 

[     20     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

till  as  he  chose  and  they  have  recorded  that  the  first 
years  the  soil  yielded  wondrous  crops  with  125 
bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre.  With  this  corn  ground 
into  meal  at  Craig's  mill,  before  mentioned,  whither 
it  was  carried  on  horseback,  and  with  the  wild 
fruits  growing  abundantly  all  about  them,  and  with 
nuts  and  honey  to  supply  delicacies,  the  settlers 
were  in  no  danger  of  lack  of  food. 

In  one  of  the  letters  I  have  read,  the  writer  as- 
serts that  when  a  rarity  of  any  food  happened  to 
reach  them,  if  it  was  not  enough  to  be  divided,  one 
housewife  cooked  it  and  they  all  ate  it  together. 
Also  the  sale  of  cordwood  to  the  passing  steamboats 
supplied  them  with  a  little  money  and  they  settled 
down  into  peace  and   plenty 

In  the  present  day  when  pictures  form  such  a 
part  of  our  everyday  life  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
visualize  a  time  when  the  art  of  picture  taking  was 
unknown.  But  photography  had  not  yet  been  dis- 
covered or  invented,  and  it  was  not  until  1839  that 
DaGuerre,  in  France,  had  perfected  his  first  pic- 
tures, the  old  Daguerreotypes. 

The  pioneers  had  nothing  with  which  to  light 
their  cabins,  except  candles  or  coon  oil  in  saucers 
with  ragwicks,  for  kerosene  had  not  been  discover- 
ed. There  was  no  way  to  cook  the  food  except  over 
the  fireplaces  as  stoves  were  unknown  at  that  date 
in  remote  frontier  settlements. 

There  were  no  matches  with  which  to  light  the 
fire,  the  only  way  being  to  start  it  with  a  spark 
from  a  flint,  or  to  borrow  some  fire  from  a  neigh- 

[     21     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

bor  who  had  kept  his  burning.  Matches  were  crude- 
ly made  about  1830,  and,  for  those  who  are  fond  of 
statistics,  it  is  said  that  civilization  uses  3,000,000 
a  minute  and  that  Americans  use  as  many  matches 
as  all  the  rest  of  the  world  put  together. 

The  water  used  by  the  settlers  was  dipped  from 
two  bubbly  springs  nearby  and  a  spring  house  was 
built  in  which  to  keep  the  milk  and  butter  sweet 
and  cool.  This  spring  house  stood  over  the  large 
spring  just  south  of  the  Pierce  cabin. 

The  old  wigwam  or  council  house  was  never 
used  again  after  the  first  few  weeks  while  the  men 
were  building  the  three  log  cabins.  There  is  no 
record  that  it  was  other  than  a  small  wigwam,  as 
on  their  arrival  that  November  night  in  1828,  only 
one  family  could  occupy  it,  the  other  two  families, 
arriving  a  few  hours  later,  had  to  sleep  on  the 
flat  boat  that  night  until  they  could  build  two 
wigwams  the  following  day. 

It  was  never  used  as  a  tavern  or  for  any  other 
purpose  as  stated  in  an  early  Carroll  history,  and 
certainly  could  not  have  held  one  thousand  people. 
It  was  not  the  birthplace  of  the  first  white  child 
born  in  the  settlement,  as  the  log  cabins  were  com- 
pleted, and  all  were  safely  and  comfortably  housed 
before  Christmas,  and  the  baby  girl  was  born  to 
the  Pierce  family  the  following  spring. 

These  statements  are  made  to  clear  some  of  the 
misleading  and  contradictory  accounts  given  in  the 
early  histories,  and  are  all  verified  in  letters  from 
Mrs.  Blundell  who  was  a  daughter  of  George  David- 

[     22     ] 


THE       STORY       OF       SAVANNA 

son,  a  sister  of  Vance  Davidson  and  the  young- 
bride  of  William  Blundell  at  the  time  of  the  set- 
tlement. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  period  of  the  story  of 
Savanna,  it  is  necessary  to  clear  the  picture  of  all 
improvements,  and  have  in  mind  only  a  strip  of 
ground  lying  along  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  at  the  foot  of  the  high  bluff  we  call  the 
Pinnacle.  On  this  ground  stood  three  log  cabins  of 
the  most  primitive  type,  with  their  faces  turned 
toward  the  river  and  the  vast  uninhabited  prairies 
stretching  beyond  the  western  hills. 

There  was  no  way  of  communicating  with  the 
outside  world,  as  there  were  no  railroads,  or  tele- 
phones or  telegraph  and  mail  had  to  be  carried 
from  fort  to  fort  by  men  on  horseback  or  on  foot, 
over  distances  of  many  miles.  It  took  from  two  to 
four  weeks  or  even  longer  for  mail  to  reach  this 
point  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  country. 


[     23     ] 


*9  393  ^**  ***  saa  **■*  993  9*9  6t*  »**  ***  ***  ftftftfe 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

'HE  next  period  of  vital  importance  to  the  set- 
tlers of  this  section  was  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Black  Hawk  War.  This  was  the  last  stand  of 
the  Indian  tribes  to  retain  their  hold  upon  the  vast 
hunting  grounds  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

Chief  Black  Hawk  (Ma-Ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak) 
of  the  united  tribes  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  claimed 
and  held  all  the  territory  in  western  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  River 
on  the  north,  to  the  Portage  des  Sioux,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri,  on  the  south. 

He  claimed  this  entire  area  under  a  treaty  of 
1804,  and  when  white  settlements  were  being  made, 
and  claims  filed  within  this  territory,  he  was  loath 
to  give  up  such  a  fruitful  hunting  ground.  He  was 
ordered  to  move  his  tribes  across  the  Mississippi 
into  Iowa,  but  he  refused  to  do  so. 

The  village  of  Black  Hawk  was  situated  on  the 
north  bank  of  Rock  River,  near  its  mouth  below 
Rock  Island,  and  included  about  eight  hundred 
acres  under  cultivation. 

It  was  here  Black  Hawk  was  born  in  the  year 
1767,  and  here  the  Sac  village  had  stood  for  more 
than  one  hundred  years,  and  here  were  the  graves 
of  their  forefathers. 

[     24     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

The  Chief  once  again  refused  to  move  his  tribes 
across  the  river  and  there  followed  a  year  (1831) 
of  uneasy  and  futile  bickering  between  Black 
Hawk  and  the  government  officers  and  the  settlers 
all  through  the  valley  were  warned  to  provide 
places  of  safety. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1832,  the  few  pioneers  who 
were  settled  here,  erected  a  block  house  on  the 
ground  between  the  Davidson  log  cabin  and  the 
Pierce  cabin.  There  they  stored  provisions  and 
ammunition  and  prepared  it  as  a  place  of  refuge 
for  the  women  and  children  in  case  of  an  outbreak 
of  the  Indians.  Hardly  had  these  preparations  been 
made  when  a  soldier  came  riding  on  horseback 
from  Fort  Armstrong  at  Rock  Island,  warning  all 
settlers  throughout  the  valley  that  Black  Hawk 
was  on  the  war  path,  and  they  should  seek  safety 
in  a  fort. 

Like  Paul  Revere,  he  delivered  his  warning  and 
departed  on  his  flying  steed,  leaving  fright  and 
despair  in  the  hearts  of  the  pioneers.  Making  a 
hurried  decision  the  men  loaded  the  women  and 
children  into  the  wagon  once  again  and  started  for 
Galena.  The  children  were  huddled  into  the  bottom 
of  the  wagon  box  and  covered  over  with  quilts  and 
hardly  dared  raise  their  little  heads  to  breathe. 

By  this  time,  the  summer  of  1832,  a  few  new 
names  appear  among  the  settlers,  and  we  find  a 
man  named  Hays,  and  Mrs.  Goss,  wife  of  Leonard 
Goss  is  mentioned  as  one  of  those  making  the  trip 
to  the  Fort  at  Galena. 

[     25     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

The  residents  of  Galena  had  held  a  meeting  in 
May  of  that  year  and  studied  ways  and  means  of 
providing  protection  for  their  settlement,  and  de- 
cided to  build  two  block  houses  and  a  stockade. 
By  July  these  were  ready  and  the  stockade  gar- 
risoned with  150  men. 

The  trip  of  the  fleeing  settlers  from  here  to  Ga- 
lena was  made  without  accidents  or  adventures  of 
any  kind  and  they  arrived  safely  in  the  town  and 
secured  houses  in  which  the  families  could  live  and 
be  within  reach  of  the  stockade  for  better  protec- 
tion. After  providing  for  their  welfare,  the  men 
returned  to  their  homes  here,  to  look  after  their 
crops  and  stock.  They  found  plenty  of  work  await- 
ing them,  so  the  time  passed  quietly  away,  until 
they  began  to  lo*se  their  fear  and  dread  of  the  In- 
dians, and  to  relax  into  peaceful,  every  day  pioneer 
life. 

It  was  a  beautiful  afternoon  in  midsummer  with 
a  "Sunday  quiet  over  all/'  The  men  were  resting 
lazily  about  the  settlement.  Vance  Davidson  had 
gone  out  over  the  hills  looking  for  a  horse  which 
the  Indians  had  stolen  from  him.  William  Blun- 
dell  had  gone  to  Galena  to  see  how  the  families 
were  getting  along,  and  Bob  Upton  was  up  on  the 
hills  towards  Apple  River,  hunting.  Aaron  Pierce 
was  the  lookout  at  the  time  and  was  in  the  block 
house  shaving.  Suddenly  the  dogs  began  to  bark, 
and,  looking  out,  he  saw  an  Indian  head  rising 
slowly  above  the  rank  of  cordwood  standing  along 
the  bank  of  the  river.  He  gave  the  alarm  and  Hays 
and  Goss,  who  were  the  only  other  men  left  in  the 

[     26     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

place,  ran  for  the  block  house.  Hays  ran  for  the 
door  and  in  his  excitement  fell  just  as  he  reached 
it.  Two  Indians  fired  on  him,  the  bullets  striking 
the  door  on  each  side  of  him.  Gross  wasted  no  time, 
but  climbed  down  the  chimney  and  reaching  Hays 
pulled  him  inside  and  fastened  the  door. 

This  was  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  Indians  kept 
up  an  intermittent  firing  from  behind  the  pile  of 
wood,  while  the  men  fired  away  through  the  port 
holes  in  the  block  house,  but  neither  side  accom- 
plished very  much. 

Finally  toward  night  the  Indians  crept  around 
and  got  up  on  the  hill  back  of  the  block  house  and 
tried  to  fire  into  the  roof.  This  maneuver  was  not 
successful  as  they  were  too  far  away,  so  they  satis- 
fied this  savageness  by  going  down  into  the  fields, 
destroying  the  crops  and  killing  the  stock. 

They  also  took  revenge  in  cutting  loose  two 
skiffs  belonging  to  the  settlers,  so  they  would  float 
away  down  the  river,  but  fortunately  for  the  men 
a  kindly  Providence  in  the  form  of  a  strong  wind, 
blew  them  back  inshore  where  they  lodged. 

All  the  stock  was  killed  with  the  exception  of 
one  old  white  horse,  which  was  so  frightened  it 
ran  past  the  block  house  and  took  refuge  in  the 
river.  When  the  men  saw  the  intelligence  of  the 
animal,  they  decided  to  take  to  the  river  also. 

So  under  cover  of  darkness  the  men  reached  the 
river  unobserved  and  getting  into  a  skiff  started 
for  Galena.     When  they  had  rowed  up  the  river  a 

[     27     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

short  distance  they  heard  a  call  from  the  shore. 
Fearing  it  might  be  Indians,  they  hesitated  about 
going  nearer,  but  a  second  and  louder  call  con- 
vinced them  that  it  was  Bob  Upton,  as  it  was 
known  he  had  gone  hunting  in  the  morning.  As 
they  neared  the  shore,  the  men  urged  Bob  to  jump, 
but  as  the  distance  was  about  forty  feet,  he  pre- 
ferred to  wade  and  swim  to  the  boat,  where  the 
men  assisted  him  in  getting  aboard. 

Bob  Upton  delighted  to  tell  of  his  marvelous  ad- 
venture and  escape,  and  the  tale  lost  none  of  its 
thrills  in  the  telling.  He  said  that  as  he  Avas  near- 
ing  home  that  afternoon,  he  heard  firing  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  blockhouse.  He  turned  about  won- 
dering which  way  he  should  go,  when  suddenly 
seven  Indians  appeared  from  nowhere  and  started 
in  pursuit  of  him.  He  ran  down  the  side  of  the 
bluff  and  hid  in  the  crevice  of  the  rock,  thus  evad- 
ing his  enemies.  This  cave  has  since  been  known 
as  Bob  Upton's  Cave,  and  has  been  a  favorite  ren- 
dezvous of  every  school  boy.  He  remained  hidden 
until  after  dark,  and  when  he  heard  the  dip,  dip 
of  the  oars  of  the  escaping  men,  at  first  he  could 
not  tell  whether  it  was  friends  or  enemies,  but  he 
concluded  it  was  a  skiff  and  not  a  canoe  of  the 
Indians,  and  so  he  joyously  joined  the  party  bound 
for  Galena.  The  men  rowed  all  night  and  by  nine 
o'clock  the  next  morning  they  had  reached  Galena 
and  their  families. 

The  day  following  the  attack  on  the  block  house, 
Vance  Davidson  and  John  Bernard  started  for 
home  from  up  on  Apple  River.     When  they  reach- 

[     28     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ed  the  block  house  and  saw  the  bullet  holes  and 
found  such  a  scene  of  devastation,  the  burned 
fields  and  the  dead  stock,  they  were  horrified,  but 
on  investigation  they  found  no  signs  of  the  men 
and  there  was  silence  everywhere.  They  could  not 
tell  whether  the  men  had  been  killed  and  carried 
off,  or  whether  they  had  fled  for  their  lives.  How- 
ever, they  started  for  Galena,  and  on  arriving  there 
were  greatly  relieved  and  overjoyed  to  find  them 
all  safe  and  sound.  The  others  had  been  equally 
anxious  about  them  so  there  was  good  reason  for 
all  rejoicing  over  their  good  fortune  in  making 
their  escape,  and  being  united  once  again  in  a  safer 
place. 

The  attack  on  the  settlers  at  Savanna  was  not 
a  part  of  the  war  waged  by  Black  Hawk.  He  had 
taken  his  warriors  north  and  east  from  their  vil- 
lage near  Rock  Island  and  the  fiercest  battle  was 
fought  at  Stillman  Valley.  The  attack  on  this 
settlement  was  made  by  a  wandering  tribe,  esti- 
mated at  about  twenty  in  number,  who  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  general  uprising  to  do  some  mar- 
auding of  their  own. 

Now  for  a  time  our  little  frontier  settlement  in 
the  beautiful  valley  on  the  bank  of  the  broad  Missis- 
sippi was  abandoned.  The  men  enlisted  their  ser- 
vices with  the  government  and  the  families  remain- 
ed in  Galena.  Vance  Davidson  served  throughout 
the  war  and  was  in  all  the  engagements  with  the 
Indians  under  Black  Hawk.  Aaron  Pierce  offered 
his  services  and  was  engaged  in  hauling  provisions 
for  the  soldiers.     The  three  older  Pierce  children, 

[     29     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Marshall,  Lorenzo  Dow,  and  Harriet  attended 
school.  During  this  time  an  epidemic  of  cholera 
broke  ont  in  Galena  and  the  families  experienced 
much  sickness. 


[     30     ] 


?>»33*33*3*3  jjj  33*  ggiagjtftgfc^g  Egg  ggg  ggjMk 


THE  SETTLEMENT 

'HE  year  1833  saw  the  end  of  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  the  white  settlers  for 
the  possession  of  the  fertile  valley.  Before  the 
treaty  of  peace  was  actually  signed  our  plucky 
pioneers  were  back  in  their  devastated  homes.  All 
joined  in  the  work  of  repairing  cabins  and  fences, 
and  in  getting  their  fields  once  more  in  readiness 
for  planting. 

Vance  Davidson  and  Aaron  Pierce  each  built  a 
new  log  house  of  hewed  logs,  two  stories  high, 
with  cellars  and  each  with  a  porch  fronting  the 
river.  They  each  had  a  fireplace,  also  a  stairway 
with  good  stairs.  The  cabins  each  had  one  room 
below  and  one  room  upstairs  and  all  the  rooms 
had  good  pine  floors.  The  old  log  cabins,  standing 
nearby,  were  used  for  kitchens  and  sleeping  rooms, 
and  the  families  were  very  comfortable  in  such 
luxurious  quarters. 

There  were  still  many  Indians  on  this  side  of 
the  river,  passing  up  and  down  in  small  parties, 
both  on  the  land  and  on  the  river.  The  frontier 
wife  in  her  lonely  cabin  could  not  get  used  to 
their  friendly  way  of  pressing  their  faces  against 
the  window  panes  and  looking  into  the  room,  and 
the  mother's  heart  would  almost  stop  beating  as 
she    gathered    her    children   behind   her.      But   she 

[     31     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

would  divide  flour  or  meal  or  other  eatables  with 
them  and  the  Indians  would  appreciate  her  fair- 
ness and  go  away. 

Many  Indians  also  stopped  here  to  trade  and 
exchange  their  furs,  as  this  was  the  most  import- 
ant trading  post  in  this  section.  They  came  here 
in  the  fall  and  camped  along  the  small  streams 
and  trapped,  disposing  of  their  furs  in  the  spring 
before  setting  out  for  their  northern  hunting- 
grounds.  They  were  peaceful  and  quiet,  and  re- 
mained in  this  region  unmolested,  as  by  this  time 
the  white  settlers  were  accustomed  to  dealing  with 
them. 

One  day  a  young  brave  appeared  before  the  door 
of  the  Pierce  cabin,  depositing  a  large  bundle  of 
furs  which  he  wanted  to  exchange  for  Harriet,  the 
oldest  daughter,  a  girl  about  fifteen  years  old.  It 
took  much  explaining  and  gesticulating  on  the  part 
of  the  mother  to  make  him  understand  they  did  not 
give  their  daughters  for  wives  Indian  fashion,  and 
lie  marched  angrily  away. 

The  accounts  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  had  grad- 
ually sifted  through  to  the  eastern  states,  and  at- 
tention was  called  to  this  vast  unsettled  region 
and  settlers  were  arriving  throughout  the  valley, 
seeking  homes  in  these  rich  lands. 

Strangers  began  making  their  appearance  in  the 
settlement,  some  arriving  on  horseback,  some  on 
foot,  and  still  others  by  steamboat.  This  was  the 
only  stopping  place  between  Rock  Island  and  Ga- 
lena, hence  many  travelers  spent  the  night  at  this 

[     32     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 
place  and  accepted  the  hospitality  of  the  settlers. 

And  now  began  the  arrival  of  men  whose  names 
have  been  closely  connected  with  the  history  of 
Savanna,  and  who  took  an  active  part  in  the  af- 
fairs of  the  new  Carroll  County. 

One  of  these  first  arrivals  was  Elijah  Bellows,  a 
brother  of  Mrs.  Aaron  Pierce.  He  was  accompany- 
ing' some  military  officers  who  were  on  their  way 
from  Boston  to  Fort  Crawford  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
They  were  on  horseback  and  had  been  compelled  to 
camp  out  many  nights  as  only  occasionally  did 
they  find  a  settler's  log  cabin  where  they  could 
stop  over  night.  When  they  reached  this  point  the 
officers  seemed  pleased  to  meet  a  woman  of  in- 
telligence and  refinement  in  such  a  wilderness,  but 
Mr.  Bellows  was  much  mortified  to  find  his  sister 
dressed  in  a  linsey-woolsey  dress  with  a  calico  cap 
on  her  head  and  living  in  such  rough  surround- 
ings. 

After  a  night's  rest  the  officers  departed  on 
their  way,  but  Mr.  Bellows,  who  came,  saw,  and 
was  conquered,  remained  with  the  pioneers  and 
we  find  his  name  among  the  first  records  of  Car- 
roll County. 

About  this  time  came  also  Luther  H.  Bowen,  a 
hustling,  energetic  young  man  from  Herkimer 
County,  New  York.  He  had  accompanied  a  party 
of  surveyors  and  was  engaged  with  them  in  locat- 
ing the  disputed  boundary  line  between  Illinois 
and  Wisconsin.  The  work  having  been  completed, 

[     33      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

lie   remained   in   Galena  and   was   employed   by    a 
firm  as  bookkeeper. 

In  exploring  around  the  country  looking  for  a 
good  location,  he  finally  reached  this  frontier  set- 
tlement. He  was  much  pleased  with  the  situation, 
as  it  looked  like  an  ideal  site  for  the  founding  of 
a  city  on  the  Mississippi.  He  therefore  negotiated 
with  the  settlers  for  their  claim  interests  and  re- 
turned to  Galena  with  the  intention  of  returning 
later  and  laying  out  the  town. 

And  now  as  our  story  goes  on  we  find  great 
activity  in  the  little  pioneer  settlement.  The  log 
cabins  were  filled  to  overflowing  every  night  with 
travelers.  The  upstairs  rooms  in  the  new  log 
cabins  were  filled  with  beds,  and  after  supper  was 
cleared  away,  beds  were  made  on  the  floors  down 
stairs,  the  families  using  the  old  one  room  log 
cabins  for  sleeping  rooms  and  for  the  kitchens  for 
cooking. 

The  years  from  1833  to  1836  were  filled  with 
arriving  settlers  whose  boundless  courage  and  en- 
durance had  been  sorely  tried  on  "the  long,  long 
trail  that  came  a 'winding  into  the  West."  These 
pioneers  were  refined,  educated  men  and  women 
and  they  brought  into  their  western  home  the 
same  spirit  of  independence  that  their  ancestors, 
the  New  England  colonists  had  brought  from  their 
native  homes  across  the  Atlantic. 

As  they  reached  this  part  of  Illinois,  either  at 
Galena    or    at    Savanna,    they     gradually     settled 

[     34     ] 


THE      STORY       OF      SAVANNA 

either  in  or  near  these  places  or  upon  the  lands 
between.  The  land  now  included  in  Washington 
township  and  on  north  to  Sand  Prairie  and  Han- 
over had  a  goodly  share  of  these  early  settlers. 

John  Bernard  with  his  wife  and  family  occupied 
the  farm  now  known  as  the  Hatfield  farm  on  the 
river  road,  and  all  the  lowlands  lying  west  and 
north  to  the  river  has  ever  since  been  known  as 
Bernard's  Bottoms. 

Mason  Taylor,  older  brother  of  Pliney  Taylor, 
was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  in  Washington 
township.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  county  af- 
fairs and  was  the  first  coroner  of  the  new  Carroll 
County  in  1839. 

Milas  C.  Robison,  father  of  the  late  well-known 
John  A.  Robison  and  George  F.  Robison,  owned 
the  farm  known  as  the  George  Fish  farm,  now  the 
Henry  Airhart  place  on  the  river  road  on  the  new 
Route  80. 

In  a  letter  received  lately  from  George  F.  Robi- 
son who  at  the  age  of  85  is  still  in  active  business 
in  Windom,  Minn.,  he  writes  that  his  old  home 
was  the  old  Robison  place  which  he  disposed  of  to 
George  Fish  nearly  sixty  years  ago.  He  recalls 
as  a  boy  working  for  his  board  and  attending 
school  in  Savanna,  staying  one  year  with  Mrs. 
Aaron  Pierce  when  they  were  still  occupying  the 
El  Dorado  Hotel,  located  in  the  north  part  of 
town. 

Stephen  Arnold  settled  north  on  the  river  at  the 
[     35     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

place  called  by  his  name,  Arnold's  Landing',  after- 
ward known  as  the  John  A.  Robison  place. 

The  Armstrongs,  Coopers  and  many  others  set- 
tled on  Sand  Prairie  around  in  1835-6,  but  that 
section  remained  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  hence  their 
history  did  not  enter  into  the  records  of  Carroll 
County. 

A  town  and  steamboat  landing  was  laid  out  near 
the  mouth  of  Apple  River  and  was  named  Ports- 
mouth, and  for  many  years  the  ruins  of  the  founda- 
tion of  an  old  warehouse  marked  the  site.  The 
deep  channel  of  the  river  followed  that  shore, 
making  it  an  ideal  spot  for  the  location  of  a  town. 
This  place  is  now  the  lower  end  of  the  Savanna 
Proving  Ground. v 

During  this  same  year  David  L.  Bowen,  younger 
brother  of  Luther  H.  Bowen,  arrived  in  the  settle- 
ment, having  walked  nearly  all  the  distance  from 
Herkimer  County  in  Western  New  York.  He  often 
told  of  passing  through  Chicago  and  coming  on 
out  here  thinking  this  place  looked  like  a  much 
better  location. 

The  first  marriage  to  take  place  in  this  new 
home  of  the  settlers  was  that  of  Harriet  Pierce, 
eldest  daughter  of  Aaron  Pierce,  who  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  became  the  wife  of  Vance  L.  Davidson, 
nearly  twenty  years  her  senior.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  on  June  11,  1835  by  Hooper  Crews,  an 
elder  of  the  Methodist  church  and  the  first  circuit 
rider  in  this  section  of  Illinois. 

[     36     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

And  now  for  those  who  do  not  care  for  dry  old 
history,  but  who  have  a  love  for  romance  and  ad- 
venture in  their  hearts,  I  would  like  to  follow  the 
fortunes  of  this  couple  at  this  point  in  our  story 
for  fear  I  shall  not  find  another  opportunity  or 
suitable  place. 

After  their  marriage  in  1835,  they  continued  to 
live  in  Savanna,  taking  an  active  part  in  all  busi- 
ness and  social  affairs.  But  when  the  call  to  the 
gold  fields  of  California  came  in  1849  the  urge 
was  too  strong  for  the  pioneer  blood  in  the  viens 
of  our  hero,  Vance,  and  he  joined  the  party  going 
from  this  section.  Later  he  returned,  and  in  1854 
he  took  his  wife  and  family  and  started  out  across 
the  plains.  In  a  letter  I  have  before  me,  Mrs. 
Davidson,  his  wife,  says  that  was  the  hardest  time 
she  ever  experienced.  They  were  over  five  months 
dragging  along  in  alkali  dust  with  six  children, 
the  youngest  an  infant.  There  were  fifteen  in  the 
party  to  cook  and  care  for,  and  the  six  cows  they 
took  with  them  when  they  started  from  here  all 
ate  a  poison  weed  and  died.  "But,"  she  adds,  "we 
lived  through  it  all,  and  we  are  glad  we  are  in 
California,  and  while  we  never  made  our  fortune, 
we  live  comfortably." 

Twelve  children  were  born  to  them,  and,  their 
pioneering  over,  they  are  sleeping  in  the  sunny 
land  thej'  loved  so  well. 

It  is  from  the  interesting  and  ever  cheerful  let- 
ters of  Mrs.  Davidson  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  David 
Bowen,  that  much  of  the  material  used  in  piecing 

[      37     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

together  the  early  history  of  Savanna  has  been  ob- 
tained. 

These  letters  cover  a  period  of  years  from  1854 
to  the  last  letter  written  in  1908,  just  before  her 
death,  and  include  one  describing  her  experience 
during  the  terrific  earthquake  in  San  Francisco  in 
1906,  where  she  was  living  at  the  time. 


L      38      ] 


3  ^--s  3  **^**«  **3  **a**atfefe  ©€-*&&«■&€'$"  ft  fefet&S'-fc 


LAYING  OUT   THE   TOWN 

'HE  story  of  Savanna  up  to  this  point  has  been 
gathered  from  old  letters,  old  scrap  books, 
and  from  personal  recollections  handed  down  to 
the  second  generation  by  the  settlers  themselves. 

But  with  the  year  1835,  we  enter  upon  a  decided 
epoch  in  our  history.  In  that  year  Luther  H. 
Bowen  returned  to  the  settlement  and  the  land  he 
had  purchased  from  the  original  pioneers,  and 
with  a  man  named  Murray,  surveyed  and  laid  out 
the  town.  He  named  it  Savanna,  which  means  a 
treeless,  grassy  plain,  such  as  lies  to  the  south  of 
the  town. 

And  now  the  cornfields  were  laid  out  into  streets 
and  building  lots  and  the  little  settlement  began 
to  take  on  the  air  of  a  thriving  frontier  village. 

In  laying  out  Main  street  they  took  for  the  east 
side,  the  line  of  the  field  fences  which  had  been 
built  following  the  line  of  driftwood,  indicating 
some  previous  high  water  mark. 

Commerce  street  was  laid  out  one  block  west  of 
Main  street  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  This 
street  and  the  part  of  Main  street  lying  south  of 
what  is  now  Chicago  avenue,  were  afterward  va- 
cated by  an  act  of  legislature. 

The  ground  where  the  Lincoln  school  building 
now  stands  was  laid  out  as  a  Public  Square. 

[     39     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

This  was  the  Original  Town  of  Savanna  as  is 
stated  in  all  conveyances  of  property  and  included 
the  ground  lying  between  Davidson  street  on  the 
north,  and  Chicago  avenue  on  the  south. 

When  the  first  three  families  settled  on  this 
ground,  they  each  laid  out  four  acres  on  which 
they  built  their  log  cabins,  the  remaining  part  of 
their  claims  was  divided  into  twelve  acre  fields, 
each  family  having  its  own  field  to  plant.  (From 
one  of  the  letters  of  Mrs.  Blundell).  This  accounts 
for  the  part  lying  north  of  Division  street  being 
platted  as  an  addition. 

In  a  story  of  this  kind  it  is  not  possible  to  go 
into  details  as  to  the  original  owners  and  trans- 
fers of  property,  but  many  of  the  deeds  and  ab- 
stracts read  almost  like  romances  as  step  by  step 
they  unfold  the  story  of  gains  and  losses,  of  mort- 
gages, divorce,  heartaches,  wills  and  deaths.  I 
have  before  me  an  abstract  which  anyone  talented 
in  that  direction  could  turn  into  a  two  volume  tale 
of  love  and  disaster. 

The  year  1836  opened  with  great  activity  in  the 
new  village.  From  out  the  east  had  come  many 
men  who  were  to  be  identified  with  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  town  and  county,  and  whose  descend- 
ants are  still  connected  with  the  business  and  edu- 
cational interests  of  our  city. 

John  Fuller  and  an  elder  sister,  Hannah,  ar- 
rived from  Kennebec  county,  Maine,  he  having 
driven  the  entire  distance  with  an  ox  team.  Ar- 
riving  in   Galena   in     March,   1836,    he   found    the 

[      40     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

snow  too  deep  for  the  wagon,  so  he  exchanged  it 
for  a  sled  and  completed  his  journey  to  this  place. 

At  this  point  mention  can  be  made  of  the  first 
school  which  was  ever  held  in  Savanna.  The 
teacher  was  Hannah  Fuller  who  had  come  to  keep 
house  for  her  brother,  and  while  waiting  for  him 
to  complete  a  house  he  was  building  on  upper 
Main  street  north  of  the  Davidson's  cabin,  she 
consented  to  teach  a  little  school  of  six  pupils.  The 
school  was  held  in  the  Pierce  log  cabin  that  had 
a  bed  in  the  room.  Pour  of  the  pupils  were  of  the 
Pierce  family,  the  other  two  being  Jefferson  Blun- 
dell,  and  a  boy  who  lived  with  the  Vance  David- 
sons, this  number  being  all  the  small  children  in 
the  settlement. 

Hannah  Fuller  afterward  taught  a  select  school 
in  the  new  house  her  brother  had  built  and  had 
for  her  pupils  the  same  children,  with  the  addition 
of  Sarah  Ashby,  whose  parents  had  in  the  mean- 
time moved  here  from  Canada. 

In  1840,  at  the  age  of  16,  Sarah  Ashby  was  mar- 
ried to  John  Fuller,  whose  acquaintance  she  had 
made  while  a  pupil  in  his  sister's  school.  The  mar- 
riage took  place  in  her  parent's  log  cabin  on  the 
banks  of  Plum  river  near  the  Stedman  farm,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  by  Bartholomew  Weed, 
then  presiding  elder  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
the  northwest  section  of  Illinois. 

They  went  to  housekeeping  in  the  home  Mr. 
Fuller  had  built  in  the  north  part  of  town,  and 
here  nearly  all   of   their  nine   children   were  born. 

[     41     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

In  1860  they  moved  into  the  old  homestead  on 
Chicago  avenue  and  on  Sunday,  January  19,  1890 
they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuller  were  Methodists,  first,  last 
and  always  and  lived  up  to  their  faith.  Through 
their  efforts,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  David- 
sons and  the  Blundells,  who  were  also  Methodists, 
they  had  a  church  society  started  very  early. 

It  was  in  the  winter  of  1836  Mr.  Pierce  took  his 
wife  and  children  to  Galena  once  again,  so  the 
children  could  attend  school.  They  rented  a  fur- 
nished hotel  and  remained  there  more  than  a  year, 
Mrs.  Pierce  keeping  the  hotel,  afterward  returning 
to  their  old  home  in  Savanna. 


[     42     ] 


The  Chamber's  House 

Built  in  1836  in  the  north  part  of  town  by  Aaron  Pierce  and 
known  as  the  El  Dorado  Hotel.  Moved  south  on  Main  Street  to 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Jefferson.     It  was  burned  in  1882. 


fB  ■$&$  333  333333333  333  &S-S-  ftgSSSfe  *:*:*  ***  £$-:&«» 
-»"   ===========================================================1    **t 


BUILDING  ACTIVITIES 

/|Jj>>HE  actual  work  of  founding  a  city  in  a  wilder- 
^*>/  ness  now  began,  and  all  the  old  settlers  and 
many  new  ones  were  busy  in  building  and  getting 
into  active  business. 

A  saw  mill  on  Plum  River,  below  the  present 
bridge  this  side  of  Old  Mill  Park,  was  built  by 
Luther  and  John  Bowen,  and  was  soon  doing  a 
rushing  business  supplying  lumber  for  the  many 
buildings  being  erected.  A  powder  mill  was  also 
erected  near  the  same  site  on  the  banks  of  Plum 
River,  by  Porter  Sargeant.  The  powder  was  most- 
ly hauled  to  Galena  and  sold  for  use  in  the  mines. 

Aaron  Pierce  began  the  erection  of  a  hotel  on 
the  ground  near  where  the  old  log  cabins  stoods, 
and  although  he  hired  all  the  help  available,  the 
work  moved  slowly.  Young  David  Bowen  was 
hired  to  get  out  the  timbers  for  the  frame  work, 
and  spent  the  winter  on  the  island  across  from 
the  town,  cutting  the  immense  oak  trees  and  hew- 
ing the  timbers  out  by  hand. 

(This  hotel  was  first  named  the  Frontier  House 
but  was  afterward  called  El  Dorado  House  and 
was  later  moved  south  to  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Jefferson  streets,  occupying  the  corner  where  the 
news  depot  of  Hershey  Bowen  now  stands.  It  was 
presided  over  by  different  landlords,  among  them 

[      43      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

I.  S.  Woodruff,  father  of  A.  P.  Woodruff  and 
afterward  by  Fred  Chambers  and  was  known  for 
many  years  as  the  Chambers  House. 

Many  residents  of  Savanna  can  recall  the  night 
in  December,  1882  when  the  old  Chambers  House 
burned  down.  When  all  else  had  burned  away  and 
fallen  into  the  ruins,  those  old  oak  timbers  and 
framework  stood  aloft  like  a  burning  skeleton). 

The  work  on  the  new  hotel,  the  Frontier  House, 
was  hurried  along  until  the  dining  room  could  be 
used  by  setting  the  tables  at  one  end  of  the  room, 
while  the  travelers  and  boarders  sat  around  a  huge 
Franklin  stove  at  the  other  end  of  the  room. 

But  with  even  this  improvement  they  could  not 
meet  the  demand  and  many  travelers  had  to  be 
turned  away.  By  this  time  the  stage  coaches  had 
begun  to  appear,  also  the  prairie  schooner,  all  load- 
ed down  with  passengers.  The  steamboats  were 
also  bringing  in  large  numbers  of  people,  all  look- 
ing to  find  a  place  to  locate  in  this  land  of  promise. 

Among  the  numbers  arriving  were  many  specu- 
lators, and  the  period  following  was  known  as  the 
period  of  "land  speculation,"  when  everyone  was 
coming  west  to  invest  in  land,  and  the  old  land 
records  show  the  names  of  a  number  of  Quakers 
from  Philadelphia. 

In  this  connection  there  was  a  well  known  story 
told  by  the  pioneers  of  some  speculators  from  the 
east  who  bought  and  laid  out  into  town  lots  the 
land  lying  south  of  the  Slough  bridge  and  west  of 

[     44     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Plum  river  (Pecatolikee,  as  given  in  the  old  land 
warrants),  during  the  summer.  These  lots  were 
sold  in  the  east  and  when  the  purchasers  came 
west  to  occupy  them  in  the  spring,  there  was  no 
land  to  be  seen  as  it  was  entirely  covered  with 
high  water.  Much  disgusted  they  hired  John  Ful- 
ler and  his  team  to  take  them  back  as  far  as  Chi- 
cago. 

Vance  Davidson  built  a  store  and  warehouse  on 
the  river  bank  near  their  log  cabins  in  the  north 
part  of  town,  as  this  was  the  steamboat  landing. 
He  went  to  New  York  to  buy  his  goods,  and  they 
were  shipped  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Missis- 
sippi rivers. 

And  here  we  come  upon  an  interesting  link  in 
our  story,  in  an  old  ledger  kept  by  Vance  David- 
son recording  this  transaction  in  1836.  It  contains 
the  record  of  his  investment  in  goods  amounting 
to  $1,900.00  and  also  the  names  of  many  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  town,  and  we  read  the  name 
of  William  Goss,  Edward  Corbin,  Elijah  Bellows, 
John  Bo  wen,  Robert  Upton,  John  Bernard  and 
others  unknown  to  this  community. 

The  ledger  was  found  by  Mrs.  Abbie  Collins 
among  the  old  books  of  her  grandfather  Fuller. 
He  had  used  the  same  ledger  20  years  later  as  an 
account  book.  As  books  were  books  in  those  early 
times  and  not  to  be  thrown  lightly  away,  he  had 
utilized  the  blank  lower  part  of  the  pages  for  a 
record  of  his  sale  of  cordwood  to  the  steamboats. 
Some   of   the   boats   landing    and    taking    on   wood 

[     45     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

were  the  Lucie  May,  the  Alhambra,  the  Metropoli- 
tan, the  Vixen,  the  Ben  Bolt,  the  Greek  Slave,  the 
Henry  Clay,  the  Clipper,  the  Skipper,  and  many 
others,  the  wood  selling  for  $3.50  per  cord,  for 
hard  wood. 

And  so  the  record  of  the  old  days  goes  on.  One 
dollar  for  a  day's  labor,  a  day  at  that  time  mean- 
ing from  sunrise  to  sunset,  and  sixty-five  cents  for 
a  day's  hoeing,  thirty  cents  for  two  pounds  of 
butter  and  twenty-five  cents  for  a  straw  hat. 

Luther  Bowen  started  a  store,  and  the  first  post- 
office  to  be  established  in  all  this  section  was 
opened  here  in  1836,  with  Mr.  Bowen  as  postmas- 
ter. 

He  went  to  New  York  to  buy  goods  for  his  store, 
and  when  he  returned  he  brought  with  him  a 
bride  from  Erie,  Pennsylvania.  They  came  in  a 
covered  wagon  and,  after  boarding  a  short  time 
with  the  Pierce  family,  they  moved  into  the  log 
house  belonging  to  William  Blundell,  the  Blundells 
having,  in  the  meantime,  built  a  new  home  on  the 
hill. 

The  Bowens  lived  in  the  log  cabin  until  a  new 
frame  house  could  be  built  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  newly  laid  out  town.  This  first  frame  house  to 
be  built  stood  on  the  west  corner  of  Third  street 
and  Chicago  avenue,  the  corner  now  occupied 
(1928)   by  the  residence  of  Mrs.  C.  L.  Howe. 

He  also  erected  a  hotel  on  the  corner  where  the 
Radke  House  now  stands  and  called  it  Mississippi 

[     46     ] 


THE      STORY       OF      SAVANNA 

House.  This  hotel  was  known  afterward  for  many 
years  as  the  Woodruff  House  and  was  presided 
over  by  I.  S.  Woodruff  and  his  wife.  This  build- 
ing was  finally  torn  down  to  make  room  for  the 
fine  building  which  occupies  the  site. 

Many  of  the  travelers  who  arrived  about  this 
time  on  journeys  of  exploration  remained  and  took 
active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  town  and  county, 
but  left  no  descendants,  and  their  names  are  be- 
coming only  a  memory  even  to  the  older  genera- 
tion. Among  these  are  found  the  names  of  John 
Orr  and  his  wife  who  came  here  in  1836  from  Ver- 
mont and  remained  here  until  death  called  them. 
Mr.  Orr  started  one  of  the  first  general  stores  in 
the  town. 

Many  a  barefoot  youth  in  the  fall  was  taken  to 
Mr.  Orr's  store  by  his  dad  and  out  of  a  big  wooden 
box  of  boots  a  pair  was  selected  which  seemed 
about  the  right  size.  They  were  taken  to  the  peg 
scraper  and  the  sharp  wooden  pegs  on  the  inside 
were  scraped  down  and  the  boots  were  tried  on. 
Although  some  of  the  sharp  pegs  may  have  been 
left  inside,  if  he  could  get  them  on  his  bruised  and 
battered  feet,  they  were  pronounced  a  fit.  The 
boots  were  made  straight  so  they  could  be  worn 
on  either  foot  thus  securing  longer  wear.  However 
when  these  kip  boots  and  mother's  home  knit 
woolen  socks  were  once  thoroughly  soaked  they 
could  hardly  be  removed  from  the  foot,  even  by 
the  aid  of  the  bootjack,  which  every  family  had. 

No  history  of  Savanna  would  be  complete  with- 
[     47     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

out  the  name  of  Dr.  Elias  Woodruff.  He  came 
west  from  the  state  of  New  York  in  1836.  He  had 
just  graduated  from  a  medical  school  and  he  set- 
tled first  in  Joliet,  111.,  and  the  year  following  he 
came  to  Savanna.  Here  he  remained,  teaching 
school,  doctoring  the  sick  and  for  many  years 
conducting  a  drug  store. 

After  his  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Eddows  of 
Galena  in  1842,  he  built  a  home  on  north  Main 
street  opposite  the  Pierce  hotel.  This  house  was 
moved  farther  south  on  Main  street,  and  he  erected 
the  large  brick  residence  which  still  stands  on  the 
old  home  grounds.  He  spent  the  remaining  years 
of  his  life  in  our  midst,  a  respected  and  beloved 
friend  of  all. 

Another  settler  who  arrived  very  early  was 
Nathan  Lord  who  came  from  Meadville,  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1836.  He  and  Royal  Cooper,  another  ar- 
rival of  about  the  same  time,  entered  and  surveyed 
the  land  south  of  the  original  town  and  nearly  all 
the  land  in  and  around  Chestnut  Park  was  owned 
by  Royal  Cooper.  He  set  out  the  chestnut  trees 
which  give  this  thriving  suburb  its  name,  and 
there  is  much  interesting  history  connected  with 
its  settlement. 

The  high  ridge  of  ground  extending  east  to  the 
railmill  was  covered  with  oak  trees,  and  was  a 
wonderful  place  for  flocks  of  wild  pigeons  which 
gathered  there  and  fed  on  the  acorns,  hence  was 
the  happy  hunting  ground  of  the  young  hunter  of 
that  day. 

[     48     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

The  transfers  of  property  will  show  that  many 
of  the  early  settlers  owned  farm  land  in  that  sec- 
tion and  there  were  several  log  houses  located 
there  very  early. 

The  farm  of  Nathan  Lord  lay  on  the  east  side 
of  the  present  road  to  the  cemetery,  and  the  old 
turnpike  connected  the  village  of  Savanna  with 
that  settlement.  It  was  not  until  1853  that  the 
bridge  across  Plum  River  was  built  to  connect 
York  township  and  Fulton  on  the  south.  Previous 
to  this  time  the  only  means  of  crossing  the  stream 
was  by  a  ford  in  low  water,  and  using  a  ferry  in 
high  water. 

In  1843  Nathan  Lord  married  Mary,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  John  Smith  and  they  remained  in  that 
vicinity,  he  taking  an  active  part  in  the  new 
county  organization.  Lord's  lake  in  Chestnut 
Park  is  a  reminder  of  the  pioneer  family  that  lived 
nearby  in  the  long  ago. 

John  Smith,  father  of  Mrs.  Lord,  arrived  early 
in  this  community,  coming  from  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky and  bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  eight 
children.  They  came  up  the  river  in  a  flat  boat, 
or  keel  boat  it  was  called  in  those  days,  and  settled 
in  Savanna  in  1838.  He  started  the  first  brick- 
yard and  all  of  the  first  brick  buildings  were 
built  from  these  native  bricks. 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion  as  to  just 
where  this  first  brickyard  was  located  as  some  of 
the  authorities  do  not  agree,  but  one  of  his  grand- 
daughters, Mrs.  Julia  Smith  Bashaw,  gives  the  site 

[     49     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

as  east  of  Fifth  street,  and  south  of  Walnut  street, 
her  father,  James  Smith,  having  worked  there  as 
a  boy.  The  family  lived  at  one  time  in  a  house 
on  the  site  of  the  City  Hospital.  He  also  started 
a  brickyard  on  Chicago  avenue  east  of  the  Fuller 
homestead. 

The  first  brick  house  to  be  built  was  erected  for 
Mrs.  Harford  and  her  daughter,  Miss  Ewing, 
mother  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Luther  Bowen.  It  stands 
today  on  Main  street  just  south  of  the  Northwest- 
ern Illinois  Utilities  company  office  buiding.  At 
the  time  the  house  was  built  in  1838,  the  grounds 
extended  south  to  the  corner  and  it  was  the  first 
place  to  be  beautified  with  a  flower  garden,  lilac 
bushes,  and  other  shrubs,  and  also  with  an  orchard. 
The  deed  to  the  lots  was  given  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Har- 
ford in  1836  by  Luther  Bowen.  Mrs.  Harford  and 
her  daughter,  Miss  Ewing,  were  the  first  Episco- 
palians to  make  their  home  here. 


[     50     ] 


i?3333333333333333333336*£C&£*&*ee**«6«. 


THE  FIRST  DECADE 

SHAVE  tried  to  group  together  the  families  ar- 
riving during  the  years  from  1836  to  1838  as 
nearly  as  the  records  can  be  traced,  but  in  some 
cases  the  records  are  incomplete  and  in  many 
others  entirely  lost. 

Among  the  arrivals  in  1837  were  Charles  Ben- 
nett and  his  wife  with  their  two  year  old  twin 
daughters  named  Adelia  and  Amelia.  They  located 
their  log  cabin  in  what  is  now  East  Savanna,  near 
the  Plum  River  bridge.  Our  story  concerns  the 
twins  for  when  they  had  grown  to  womanhood, 
Adelia  became  the  wife  of  Martin  Shepard  and 
they  spent  all  their  lives  in  this  vicinity,  rearing 
a  large  family.  Amelia  became  the  wife  of  George 
Nipe  and  also  spent  all  her  life  near  Savanna. 

Another  family  whose  history  is  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  first  years  of  the  foundation  and 
growth  of  Savanna  is  the  Jenks  family. 

William  L.  B.  Jenks,  F.  M.  Jenks,  George  W. 
Jenks  and  their  sister,  Almira,  with  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  together  with  their  parents 
came  west  from  Beverly,  West  Virginia  and  settled 
in  Rock  Island  in  1836.  After  a  stay  of  about  a 
year  at  that  place   they  arrived  in  Savanna  in  1837. 

Capt.  W.  L.  Jenks  became  the  first  landlord  of 
the  Mississippi  House  built  by  Luther  Bowen.     He 

[     51     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

afterward  engaged  in  several  business  enterprises 
and  became  connected  with  the  old  Northern  Line 
Packet  company,  and  for  several  years  was  a  well- 
known  captain  and  boat  owner.  He  retired  from 
the  river  to  the  farm  in  the  east  part  of  town  now 
occupied  by  his  son,  Thomas  Jenks. 

F.  M.  Jenks  was  too  well  known  to  need  much 
added  to  his  history  as  he  was  among  the  leaders 
in  business  and  politics.  He  married  Miss  Louisa 
Armstrong  of  Sand  Prairie,  near  Hanover  and  they 
spent  all  their  lives  in  Savanna.  In  1905  they 
celebrated  their  golden  wedding.  Mr.  Jenks  re- 
tired from  active  service  and  left  his  business  in 
the  hands  of  his  sons,  the  Jenks  Bros. 

James  White  came  here  also  about  1837  and 
started  a  store.  He  married  Miss  Almira  Jenks, 
a  sister  of  the  Jenks  brothers,  and  they  went  to 
Elizabeth  and  started  a  store  and  later  settled  in 
Hanover  where  he  is  remembered  best  as  the 
founder  and  builder  of  the  Hanover  Woolen  Mill 
which  continues  to  be  one  of  the  big  enterprises  of 
northwestern  Illinois. 

Out  of  that  dim  past  appear  the  names  of  Henry 
B.  Harmon  and  his  wife  Nancy  Bowen  Harmon 
who  arrived  here  from  Herkimer  County,  New 
York.  Squire  Harmon,  as  he  was  familiarly  known 
in  those  days,  was  an  educated  man,  and  taught 
one  of  the  early  schools,  and  held  positions  of 
trust  in  the  new  county  after  its  organization. 

They  settled  on  the  farm  east  of  town,  now  own- 
ed by   T.    C.    Jenks    (1928)    and   set    out    the   first 

[      52      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

apple  orchard  in  this  section.  They  sold  the  farm 
to  Capt.  W.  L.  B.  Jenks,  father  of  T.  C.  Jenks, 
and  the  records  show  but  that  one  transfer  of  the 
property  until  the  present  day. 

The  Harmons  built  a  stone  house  on  the  south 
side  of  Chicago  avenue,  which  was  then  away  out 
in  the  country.  The  house  was  part  stone  and 
part  frame  and  had  on  one  side  what  the  pioneers 
called  a  stoop.  After  the  death  of  Squire  Harmon, 
Mrs.  Harmon,  who  was  a  sister  of  Luther  and 
David  L.  Bowen,  made  her  home  with  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  John  A.  Cooley.  She  lived  to  be  past 
ninety  years  old  and  was  one  of  the  most  lovable 
of  all  those  early  pioneer  women.  She  could  tell 
many  tales  of  the  early  days  and  was  always  a 
Avelcome  guest  at  all  the  social  affairs. 

One  of  the  stories  Mrs.  Harmon  delighted  to  tell 
was  about  the  time  when  the  first  steamboat  came 
up  the  Mississippi  equipped  with  a  real  steam 
whistle.  The  families  who  had  come  to  this  coun- 
try, which  was  inhabited  only  by  Indians  and  wild 
animals,  had  lived  in  fear  of  the  dangers  of  the 
forest,  and  the  tales  they  had  heard,  only  added  to 
this  fear. 

When  they  heard  that  awful  sound  of  the 
whistle  in  the  distance,  unlike  any  sound  they  had 
ever  heard  before,  they  were  almost  paralyzed 
with  fright- 
Thinking  it  was  some  strange  wild  animal  about 
to  make  an  attack,  or  perhaps  a  tribe  of  Indians 
starting   out    on   the   warpath,   the   Blundells    who 

[       53      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

had  by  this  time  settled  on  a  farm  near  what  is 
now  Chestnut  Park,  gathered  the  family  together 
and  ran  all  the  way  across  the  swamp  to  the  home 
of  the  Harmons.  The  only  other  family  nearby 
was  the  Bennett  family  this  side  of  the  mill,  and 
they  also  came  running  to  the  Harmon  home  with 
the  twins.  But  as  nothing  happened  and  their 
fears  gradually  subsided,  they  learned  the  cause 
of  the  alarm. 

With  the  year  1837  we  reach  a  logical  close  of 
the  settlement  period,  and  with  the  years  follow- 
ing, 1839  and  40,  came  many  of  the  most  important 
men  and  women  who  carried  on  so  successfully  the 
work  already  begun  by  those  earlier  pioneers. 

In  a  history  of  this  kind  it  is  not  possible  to 
trace  the  family  fortunes  down  to  the  present  gen- 
eration, but  I  have  tried  to  find  the  names  of 
those  who  helped  carve  a  city  out  of  a  wilderness. 


[     54     ] 


% 


Mrs.  David  L.  Bowen 


ORGANIZATION  OF  CARROLL  COUNTY 

ND  now  our  story  of  Savanna  has  covered  the 
first  decade  of  its  growth,  and  we  reach  the 
next  important  epoch  in  its  development  which 
was  the  organization  of  Carroll  County. 

In  the  year  1837  the  residents  of  this  section, 
finding  it  quite  inconvenient  to  make  the  trip  to 
Galena  for  all  legal  business,  petitioned  the  Legis- 
lature to  be  set  apart  from  Jo  Daviess  County  and 
to  be  made  a  separate  county  organization.  The 
Act  was  approved  in  February,  1839,  and  the  date 
the  second  Monday  in  April  following,  was  named 
as  the  day  upon  which  the  election  should  be  held 
and  a  full  set  of  county  officers  named  and  the 
place  for  locating  the  county  seat  be  decided  upon. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  there  were  only 
three  precincts  or  voting  places  in  this  new  county, 
those  being  Savanna,  Plum  River  and  Elkhorn 
Grove,  and  that  the  full  county  vote  numbered 
212,  of  this  number  127  lived  in  the  Savanna  dis- 
trict. Savanna  received  the  majority  of  the  votes 
cast  and  therefore  was  declared  the  county  seat 
for  the  time  being. 

This  was  a  proud  day  for  all  of  our  old  friends 
in  the  village  whose  fortunes  we  have  been  follow- 
ing  since    1828,   and   we   meet   them    all    again   in 

[     55     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

their  official   capacity  as  they   helped  to  lay    the 
firm  foundation  of  our  own  county. 

And  now  as  this  is  a  woman's  story  of  the  way 
things  are  accomplished,  I  shall  just  write  down 
the  facts  which  look  to  be  the  most  interesting, 
and  leave  the  dry  details  of  the  procedure  of  the 
organization  to  those  who  care  to  look  through  the 
old  records. 

Prom  the  history  of  Carroll  County  of  1913,  I 
find  the  names  of  the  first  County  Commissioners 
to  be  Luther  H.  Bowen,  Sample  M.  Journey  and 
Garner  Moffett.  The  first  meeting  of  these  com- 
missioners was  held  in  Savanna,.  April  13,  1839. 
They  appointed  Elijah  Bellows  of  Savanna  and 
Alvah  Daines  of  Elkhorn  Grove  the  first  assessors, 
also  Norman  D.  French  the  first  collector,  and 
each  man  was  assessed  by  the  commissioners,  four 
day's  labor  on  the  roads. 

William  Goss  was  the  first  clerk  of  the  county 
commissioner's  court,  Hezekiah  Francis  was  the 
first  sheriff.  John  C.  0 wings  was  the  first  pro- 
bate justice,  and  Mason  Taylor  was  the  first  cor- 
oner. Royal  Cooper  was  the  first  recorder  and 
Levi  Warner  was  the  first  surveyor.  Leonard  Goss 
was  the  first  notary  public  and  Vance  L.  David- 
son was  the  first  public  administrator. 

Everything  being  in  readiness  for  the  transac- 
tion of  business,  on  the  12th  of  September  1839 
the  first  term  of  the  circuit  court  was  held.  The 
building  used  for  the  court  stood  on  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Webster  streets  and  served  as  a  sort  of 

[     56     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

public  building.  There  does  not  seem  to  be  any 
record  of  who  built  it,  or  why  it  was  built.  It  was 
used  for  school  and  for  church  services  of  any  de- 
nomination that  came  along. 

(An  extract  from  the  papers   of  Mrs.   Sila  Bowen) . 

School  had  to  be  dismissed  during  court  week 
and  it  was  then  that  the  Pierce  tavern  was  extra 
crowded.  It  was  then  the  tables  had  on  extra 
fine  linen,  and  the  tall  brass  candlesticks  had  an 
extra  polish  as  they  were  set  in  a  straight  line 
through  the  center  of  the  long  tables  which  were 
set  for  thirty  or  forty  people,  each  candlestick 
holding  a  sperm  or  wax  candle. 

It  was  then  the  old  black  cook  came  down  from 
Galena,  the  same  one  who  had  cooked  for  us  in 
Galena,  and  roasted  pigs  or  turkeys  and  monster 
sirloins  of  beef.  The  same  old  cook  who  had  the 
beef  steaks  broiled  to  just  the  right  turn  on  the 
large  gridiron,  over  the  red  hot  coals  on  the  hearth 
of  the  big  fireplace,  in  which  all  the  cooking  was 
done.  The  baking  was  done  in  an  outside  brick 
oven. 

By  this  time  they  had  some  bedrooms  finished, 
but  not  enough  to  accommodate  all  who  came  and 
they  therefore  still  kept  the  ballroom  filled  with 
beds. 

They  had  one  bedroom  in  the  attic  which  had  no 
window  in  it,  and  this  was  used  during  court  week 
to  put  the  criminals  in,  as  there  was  no  jail,  and 
always  afterward  it  was  called  the  "criminal's 
room." 

[      57      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Old  Judge  Brown  had  to  have  a  room  by  himself, 
and  often  brought  his  own  cook  along  so  as  to 
have  everything  just  as  he  liked  to  have  it." 

That  first  session  of  the  court  did  not  have  many 
cases,  but  the  second  term,  held  the  next  May, 
1840,  was  quite  like  modern  times  as  there  were 
two  divorce  cases  and  two  slander  suits. 

But  Savanna  was  not  left  long  to  enjoy  her  court 
and  her  county  seat,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the 
roads,  and  the  long  distances  they  had  to  drive 
which  made  it  hard  to  reach  this  place.  Many 
settlements  had  been  made  by  this  time  in  other 
parts  of  the  county,  especially  on  Preston  Prairie, 
Elkhorn  Grove,  *  Cherry  Grove  and  the  eastern 
parts. 

An  election  to  locate  the  county  seat  on  a  site 
afterward  named  Mount  Carroll,  had  been  urged 
by  a  Mill  Company  of  that  section.  This  election 
was  held  in  August,  1843,  with  the  result  that  the 
Mount  Carroll  site  received  the  majority  of  the 
votes  cast,  and  in  1844  the  county  offices  were 
moved  to  that  place. 

And  there  we  will  leave  them,  as  this  is  a  story 
of  Savanna,  and  the  county  seat  does  not  enter 
into  its  growth  or  progress,  except  as  a  place  to 
transact  the  regular  legal  business. 

With  that  matter  out  of  the  way,  we  will  return 
to  the  records  of  the  families  in  this  locality  just 
before  or  after  1840. 


[     58     ] 


PIONEERS  OF  1840 

,NE  of  the  pioneers  to  arrive  about  1840  was 
John  Finke.  He  shortly  afterward  opened 
the  first  cooper  shop.  He  married  Margaret  Both- 
well  and  they  always  made  Savanna  their  home. 
They  had  several  children,  but  the  two  that  are 
best  remembered  were  Sarah  Ellen  and  Anna  who 
were  teachers  in  the  school  for  many  years.  All 
the  members  of  the  Finke  family  were  devout 
church  members,  Mr.  Finke  being  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  early  Congregational  church. 

Another  pioneer  who  arrived  in  1840  from  his 
native  home  in  England  was  Charles  Pulford, 
father  of  Bothwell  and  Samuel  Pulford  and  the 
late  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Johnson.  He  married  Sarah 
Bothwell,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Finke,  and  for  years 
they  lived  in  a  stone  house  on  the  corner  of  Third 
street  where  the  Public  Library  now  stands.  Later 
in  the  forties,  1848,  two  other  brothers  arrived 
from  England  and  after  getting  as  far  as  Chicago 
they  finished  the  remainder  of  the  distance  on 
foot.  These  two  brothers  were  James  and  Jere- 
miah Pulford.  Having  reached  a  point  somewhere 
near  the  corner  where  the  Catholic  church  now 
stands,  they  inquired  of  a  man  they  met  where 
they  could  find  Savanna.  He  told  them  they  were 
in  Savanna,  greatly  to  the  joy  of  the  foot  weary 
travelers.  All  these  families  have  descendants 
still  living  in  Savanna. 

[     59     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Fred  Chambers,  who  for  years  was  the  big  genial 
landlord  of  the  Chambers  hotel  which  burned 
down  in  1882,  came  to  Savanna,  also,  in  1840.  He 
was  born  in  England  but  had  spent  his  early  boy- 
hood in  New  York.  He  was  engaged  in  several 
enterprises,  among  them  being  a  powder  mill,  be- 
fore he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  The  family 
has  left  this  vicinity  with  the  exception  of  Mrs. 
T.  B.  Rhodes,  who  lives  in  Mount  Carroll. 

One  of  the  noted  pioneers  whose  name  appears 
on  so  many  old  legal  documents  is  that  of  Silas 
Killam.  He  was  a  bachelor  and  had  a  wagon  shop 
on  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Adams  streets 
where  Dr.  Maloney's  office  has  stood  for  so  many 
years.  When  the  call  to  the  Civil  War  came,  Squire 
Killam,  as  he  was  called,  packed  all  his  tools  into 
barrels,  headed  them  up,  locked  up  his  shop  and 
enlisted.  When  the  war  was  over  he  returned  to 
Savanna,  opened  up  the  barrels,  took  out  his  tools 
and  started  to  work  in  his  old  shop. 

Captain  John  B.  Rhodes,  one  of  the  best  known 
arrivals  of  this  period,  reached  Savanna  in  1841. 
One  of  the  outstanding  business  enterprises  in  the 
life  history  of  this  distinguished  pioneer  was  his 
connection  with  the  old  Northern  Line  Packet 
Company,  operating  for  years  on  the  Mississippi 
from  St.  Louis  to  St.  Paul. 

In  1846  Mr.  Rhodes  and  Miss  Mary  Jane  Pierce, 
the  pioneer  baby  girl  of  the  early  settlement,  who 
had  by  that  time  reached  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,    were    married.      They   made    Savanna    their 

[     60     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

home  and  later  built  the  large  brick  house  on  north 
Main  street,  on  the  site  which  had  been  occupied 
by  the  early  Pierce  log  cabin.  In  the  big  house 
they  raised  a  family  of  five  boys  and  one  daugh- 
ter. The  sons  have  been  known  in  business  circles 
as  the  Rhodes  Brothers  during  all  these  years.  But 
as  time  changes,  only  two  of  the  family  continue 
to  make  Savanna  their  home,  John  B.  Rhodes,  one 
of  the  twins,  and  Henry  C.  Rhodes,  the  second  son. 
Thomas  B.  Rhodes,  twin  brother  of  John  B.,  has 
made  his  home  in  Mount  Carroll  for  several  years. 

Another  name  which  was  closely  identified  with 
the  growing  town  was  that  of  M.  Dnpuis.  He  was 
born  in  Canada  of  French-Canadian  parentage,  and 
came  to  this  part  of  Illinois  before  the  Black  Hawk 
war.  He  served  during  the  period  of  the  war,  re- 
maining in  Galena  until  1845,  when  he  came  to 
Savanna,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 
His  wife,  who  was  Miss  Sarah  A.  Woodruff,  teach- 
er in  the  earliest  school  in  Elkhorn  Grove,  was 
one  of  the  most  highly  respected  and  beloved  of 
the  pioneer  women.  She  was  foremost  in  all  things 
for  the  betterment  of  the  community  and  was  a 
founder  and  leader  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  pay  tribute  to  such  a  noble  woman. 

Mr.  Dupuis  was  active  in  all  town  affairs  and 
was  the  first  Mayor  of  Savanna. 

In  looking  over  some  old  papers  of  her  father, 
Reuben  H.  Gray,  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  Gray 
Bowman,  came  across  a  dairy  kept  by  him  when 
he  came  west  from  the  state  of  New  York. 

[     61     ] 


THE      STORY       OF      SAVANNA 

He  left  his  home  in  Erie  County  in  July,  1844, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  Abby  Dewey  Gray,  and 
two  children,  Helen  Gray  (Kearney)  and  George 
Gray.  The  trip  was  made  by  wagon.  In  the  party 
were  his  father  and  mother,  also  his  brother,  Cal- 
vin, with  his  wife  and  family.  In  two  weeks  they 
had  reached  Michigan  and  by  September  they 
were  at  Inlet  Grove,  near  Chicago.  After  doing 
some  surveying  at  this  place  they  started  out  again 
and  the  party  reached  Savanna,  their  final  des- 
tination, in  January,  1845. 

He  went  to  Dixon  and  entered  land  for  a  home 
here  casting  his  lot  with  the  early  pioneers,  where 
he  followed  his  vocations  of  teacher,  surveyor,  and 
merchant.  Early  in  the  year  of  1845,  his  parents 
died  and  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  on  the  hill. 

Another  settler  who  came  west,  arriving  in  Sa- 
vanna in  1845  was  Albert  Stedman.  He  settled 
in  Stephenson  County  in  1839,  then  later  came  to 
Carroll  County.  He  took  active  part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  town  and  his  sons,  Frank  and  Ira  M.,  for 
many  years  held  positions  of  trust  in  the  commun- 
ity. At  this  writing,  1928,  a  daughter  living  in 
Savanna  is  the  only  one  left  here  of  a  large  family. 
It  is  to  her,  Mrs.  Louisa  Robinson,  that  I  am  in- 
debted for  many  dates  and  incidents  given  in  the 
story  of  Savanna. 

The  Forties  were  the  years  of  many  additions 
and  changes  made  in  the  frontier  settlements 
throughout  this  section  of  Illinois.  Although  I 
have  not  been  able  to  mention  the    names    of  all 

[     62     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

those  families  locating  here  at  that  period,  tribute 
has  been  made  in  a  brief  way  to  those  who  had 
a  prominent  part  in  guiding  the  affairs  of  the  little 
village. 

And  so  the  struggle  of  the  years  went  on,  the 
primitive  conditions  remaining  about  the  same. 
They  had  no  other  means  of  transportation  of  any 
of  their  products  except  by  steamboat  or  hauling 
by  team  across  the  entire  state  to  Chicago. 

In  their  urgent  desire  to  get  to  a  better  market 
with  their  grain,  stock,  or  other  productions,  they 
eagerly  welcomed  the  proposition  for  the  building 
of  a  railroad,  as  this  mode  of  transportation  had 
become  an  assured  improvement. 

In  those  days  when  a  dollar  which  had  been 
wrested  from  the  virgin  resources  and  been  saved 
in  a  home,  a  few  acres,  or  a  small  business,  was 
worth  a  hundred  dollars  in  the  present  time,  or 
even  a  thousand  dollars,  perhaps. 

To  secure  this  first  railroad,  they  mortgaged 
their  homes,  or  land,  to  raise  the  money  to  aid  the 
project  of  building  the  road.  And  folded  up  with- 
in these  old  mortgages  which  have  been  handed 
down  among  other  papers  to  the  present  genera- 
tion, you  may  find  a  heartache  or  a  tear,  as  those 
brave  old  settlers  struggled  to  pay  off  that  debt. 

But  all  that  passed  away  and  was  forgotten,  and 
with  a  railroad  finally  a  reality,  a  more  prosper- 
ous condition  prevailed  in  the  little  village. 

[     63     ] 


^^^a^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ti^^afe^gig^gfcf-fe^fegfrfe^^ 


THE  POLL  BOOK  OF  1846 

iff  N  looking  through  a  box  of  old  papers  left  by 
qj  D.  L.  Bowen,  I  came  across  the  Poll  book  of  an 
election  held  in  Savanna  precinct  August  3,  1846. 
This  was  a  State  and  County  election  and  contains 
the  names  of  the  entire  population  who  voted  that 
day  and  furnishes  a  list  of  the  residents  of  the 
year  ending  in  1846. 

The  original  document  has  been  framed  and 
placed  in  the  public  library  exhibit  of  old  pictures. 

Poll  book  of  the  election  held  in  the  Precinct 
of  Savanna  in  the  County  of  Carroll,  on  the  third 
day  of  August  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thous- 
and eight  hundred  and  forty-six.  And  John  B. 
Rhodes,  David  L.  Bowen  and  W.  L.  B.  Jenks, 
judges,  and  Merritt  Hamilton  and  Silas  Killam 
clerks  of  said  election  were  severally  sworn  as  the 
law  directs  previous  to  their  entering  on  the  duties 
of  their  respective  offices. 

Names  of  voters :  John  Beecroft,  James  Kimball, 
J.  M.  Planck,  J.  P.  Goodrich,  N.  C.  Gilbert,  John 
O'neal,  H.  B.  Harmon,  L.  J.  Smith,  Joel  Howd, 
Simen  Gilbert,  Robert  McClanahan,  John  Parker, 
Royal  Jacobs,  Clement  Starbeck,  Benj.  N.  Kellogg, 
L.  D.  Ensley,  A.  M.  Hatton,  Alex  McDonald, 
Luther  Griswold,   Wm.   Hawthorne,   P.   R.   Kingon, 

[      64      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Anthony  Pero,  Thomas  Roof,  P.  Sargeant,  Elias 
Woodruff,  Enoch  Chamberlain,  H.  Melendy,  Lewis 
St.  Ores  Jr.,  Thos.  B.  Rhodes,  Robt.  Richardson, 
David  L.  Harrison,  Summer  Downing,  Jonathan 
Manning,  T.  S.  Barnes,  Hez  Francis,  Solomon  Ash- 
by,  Charles  Pulford,  Oliver  Bashaw,  Wm.  P.  Hard- 
en, John  M.  Kibey,  Calvin  Gilbert,  Stephen  Neal, 
A.  B.  Miller,  Luther  Gilbert,  T.  F.  Sheldon,  Wm. 
C.  Thompson,  Levi  Kent,  Henry  Spafford,  Geo. 
Ashby,  Joseph  Ashby,  J.  C.  Boyer,  Robert  Blair, 
N.  K.  Lord,  Aaron  Pierce,  Wm.  Rhodes,  Wm.  Mc- 
Entire,  George  Davidson,  Alex  Wallace,  James 
Wilson,  G.  R.  Day,  Geo.  Myers,  Vance  L.  David- 
son, N.  P.  Walter,  Jas.  Myers,  Wm.  Patterson, 
Wm.  Edmonds,  Henry  Miller,  John  Orr,  Wm. 
Bashaw,  Wm.  Ashby,  Robt.  Ashby,  Wm.  Wait, 
R,  H.  Gray,  Hiram  Maxfield,  Wm.  Bacheldor, 
Chas.  Bennett,  John  Smith,  Amos  Whitten,  John 
Puller,  F.  Chambers,  Alex  B.  Warren,  Isreal  Day, 
Cyrus  Colvin,  James  Watson,  Horace  Davis,  L.  H. 
Bowen,  Albert  Stedman,  E.  Hitchcock,  Wm.  Blun- 
dell,  J.  B.  Rhodes,  D.  B.  Hartsough,  D.  L.  Bowen, 
Silas  Killam,  M.  Hamilton,  Levi  Wilson. 

At  an  election  at  the  school  house  in  Savanna, 
Savanna  Precinct,  in  the  County  of  Carroll,  and 
State  of  Illinois,  on  the  third  day  of  August  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand,  eight  hundred, 
and  forty-six  the  following  named  persons  received 
the  number  of  votes  annexed  to  their  respective 
names  for  the  following  described  offices  towit : 

Thomas  M.  Kilpatric  had  56  votes  for  Governor. 
Augustus  C.  French  had  36  votes  for  Governor. 

[     65     ] 


THE      STORY       OF      SAVANNA 
(We  will  skip  over  the  other  state  officers). 

Luther  H.  Bowen  had  45  votes  for  State  Repre- 
sentative. 

Henry  Smith  had  32  votes  for  County  Commis- 
sioner. 

Norman  D.  French  had  56  votes  for  County 
Commissioner. 

John  B.  Rhodes  had  83  votes  for  Sheriff. 

John  B.  Whiteside  had  4  votes  for  Sheriff. 

Jered  Bartholomew  had  56  votes  for  Coroner. 

Then  follows  a  scattering  vote  for  different 
candidates. 

Certified  to  by  us 

John  B.  Rhodes,  Wm.  L.  B.  Jenks,  D.  L.  Bowen 
— Judges  of  Election. 

Attest :  Silas  Killam,  Merritt  Hamilton — Clerks 
of  Election. 

With  this  date,  the  year  of  1846,  the  period  of 
the  settlement  of  Savanna  logically  closes.  This 
old  document  which  was  evidently  laid  away  im- 
mediately after  election  seemed  never  to  have  been 
unfolded.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  every  legal  voter 
cast  his  ballot  that  day  as  this  gives  the  only 
record  we  have  of  the  settlers  living  here  at  that 
time.  The  original  Poll  book,  as  it  was  called, 
may  be  seen  at  the  Public  Library  and  is  worth 
looking  at. 

Those  settlers  who  arrived  after  that  time  found 
conditions  as  prosperous  as  any  frontier  village 
could  be  at  that  early  date,  and  they  simply  had 
to  carry  on  what  the  others  had  begun. 

[     66     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

I  have  tried  to  tell  the  simple  story  of  these 
earliest  pioneers  who  came  here  when  there  was 
nothing  but  a  wild,  unbroken  forest  where  the 
Indian  hunted,  trapped,  and  roamed  at  will;  and 
who  lived  out  their  simple  unassuming  lives  and 
passed  peacefully  to  their  rewards.  None  of  them 
ever  achieved  greatness  and  no  one  of  them  ever 
had  greatness  thrust  upon  him.  Great  fortunes 
were  not  made,  and  as  they  came  empty  handed, 
no  fortunes  were  lost. 

But  the  fact  that  they  built  well  their  founda- 
tion cannot  be  disputed  as  we  look  upon  the  beau- 
tiful streets  and  buildings  of  our  present  city. 

My  aim  has  been  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  those 
early  founders  down  through  the  years  when  there 
were  few  records  kept  and  their  history  was  more 
or  less  handed  down  from  one  generation  to  an- 
other. 

After  the  organization  of  Carroll  County  the 
records  have  been  preserved  and  papers  filed,  so 
those  in  need  of  legal  dates  can  possibly  find 
them. 


[     67     ] 


&  333  *&*  gig  333  333  -3-53  fefefe  ftfett  fr&&  fcSS  fefeft  fe&g  Cg 


SOCIAL  LIFE  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

t|||UT  our  story  would  not  be  complete  without 
qjF  mention  of  the  social  life  of  the  settlement 
and  we  will  turn  our  thoughts  back  once  more  as 
we  try  to  discover  what  could  be  found  in  the 
way  of  pleasure  amidst   such  rough  surroundings. 

We  must  go  back  to  the  beginning  and  think  of 
the  three  families  who  joined  their  fortunes  and 
founded  this  little  settlement.  They  had  met  in 
the  central  part  of  the  state,  one  family  arriving 
there  from  Massachusetts,  the  others  from  Ken- 
tucky. 

But  a  common  interest,  a  human  feeling  for 
companionship,  drew  them  together  and  they  ven- 
tured forth  to  found  a  new  community.  Together 
they  braved  the  terrors  of  the  wilderness  and  to- 
gether they  shared  each  other's  joys  and  sorrows. 
When,  during  their  first  hard  winter  here,  the 
wolf  was  not  far  from  their  doors,  and  one  family 
secured  a  little  flour  and  meal  from  the  Indians, 
it  was  divided  among  them  all,  and  the  brother- 
hood they  formed  remained  to  the  end  of  their 
lives. 

The  next  season  they  gathered  the  wild  fruit 
which  grew  abundantly  all  about,  and  in  the  Fall 
they  gathered  hickory  nuts,  walnuts,  butternuts, 
and    hazelnuts    by  the    bushel,    and  when  in    the 

[     68     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

evening  the  ''candles  were  lit,"  and  the  neighbors 
came  in,  they  gathered  around  the  big  fireplace 
and 

"Sped  the  time  with  stories  old 
Wrought  puzzles  out,  and  riddles  told 
Shut  in  from  all  the  world  without 
They  sat  the  clean-winged  hearth  about, 
While  close  at  hand  the  basket  stood, 
With  nuts  from  brown  October's  wood." 

But   with   the   arrival  of  new   settlers  from  the 
East,   who   brought   with  them  their   good   clothes 
and  their   good   manners,   the  social    life    became 
quite  active,  and  very  early  there  was  a    singing 
school  organized  and  also  a  dancing  school. 

The  hotels  or  taverns,  as  they  were  called  in 
those  early  days,  were  all  provided  with  large 
ballrooms,  and  when  the  invitations  to  a  large  ball 
were  sent  out  the  guests  came  in  sleighs  from 
miles  around.  And  the  story  is  told  that  no  man 
appeared  upon  the  ballroom  floor  unless  wearing 
his  dancing  pumps  and  white  kid  gloves. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Paddleford  was  the  lead- 
ing musician  in  this  section.  He  came  from  the 
City  of  New  York  and  his  fame  as  a  violinist 
went  out  all  over  the  country.  He  was  not  an 
ordinary  fiddler  but  was  a  composer  and  violinist 
of  great  ability. 

There  lies  before  me  a  manuscript  book  of  his 
music  which  was  presented  to  F.  P.  Bowen  by 
Mrs.  Hilsinger  of  Sabula,  whose  father,  Mr.  Scar- 

[     69     ] 


THE      STORY       OF      SAVANNA 

borough,  a  violin  player,  had  played  second  violin 
for  years  with  Paddleford.  These  two  composed 
the  orchestra. 

Some  titles  just  noted  in  glancing  through  the 
book  "Begone  Dull  Care,"  and  "Gen  Ye  How 
the  Fiddle  Goes"  seem  appropriate  for  the  oc- 
casions. 

One  of  these  early  printed  invitations  came  to 
light  out  of  the  old  box  of  letters  and  this  is  the 
way  it  reads: 

The  company  of  Mr.  David  L.  Bowen  and  lady 
is  respectfully  solicited  at  a  Ball  to  be  given  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  W.  Craig,  on  Thursday,  Febru- 
ary 14th,  1839,  at  4  o'clock  p.  m. 

Managers 

J.  W.  White,  John  Bowen,  Charles  Swan,  Mason 
Taylor,  Henry  Corwith,  John  How,  J.  M.  McCur- 
tey,  A.  Drummond  and  W.  W.  Mudd.  Wappello, 
January  28,  1839. 

It  is  presumed  that  young  David  attended  this 
party  in  Hanover  as  he  could  "cut  the  pigeon 
wing"  in  the  very  latest  style. 

A  great  anniversary  such  as  we  are  having  in 
Savanna  this  year  will  reach  thousands  who  are 
ordinarily  unconscious  of  past  historic  associa- 
tions. 

During  this  summer  we  must  compete  with  a 
presidential  campaign   and  with  the  sports  of  the 

[      70     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

world   in  producing  reading   matter   of    sufficient 
interest  to  hold  the  attention  of  our  readers. 

But  this  is  our  year  for  looking  backward  and 
for  gathering  from  out  a  gradually  dimming  past, 
the  little  stories  and  the  simple  heart  interest  of 
our  pioneer  settlers. 

This  is  the  year  in  which  we  review  the  every 
day  life  of  the  founders  of  our  city  and  gather 
all  the  items  of  our  local  history  into  some 
definite  form  where  it  can  be  preserved. 

Old  customs  have  given  way  before  the  results 
of  invention  and  discovery,  but  this  is  one  time 
for  us  to  just  look  back  for  a  short  moment  and 
take  a  fleeting  glance  at  what  once  were  real  con- 
ditions. 

Many  are  inclined  to  scoff  at  the  "old  things" 
as  they  are  termed,  but  perhaps  the  very  articles 
or  methods  we  are  using  so  proudly,  will,  in  an- 
other hundred  years  be  just  "old  things"  to  those 
who  are  then  living. 

With  these  thoughts  in  mind  I  have  selected  a 
few  pages  from  some  memories  of  pioneer  life 
written  by  Mrs.  David  L.  Bowen.  In  these  she 
recalls  many  of  her  earliest  impressions  and 
throws  light  upon  that  distant  time  of  the  early 
settlers. 

When  that  first  family  arrived  here  on  the  4th 
of  November,  1828,  it  consisted  of  the  father, 
mother  and  four  children,  the  youngest  being  a 
baby  girl  a  little  more  than  one  year  old,  named 

[     71     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Sila.  This  little  girl  spent  her  entire  life  in  Sa- 
vanna with  the  exception  of  the  times  the  family 
lived  in  Galena.  When  she  had  grown  to  woman- 
hood, in  1844,  she  was  married  to  David  L.  Bowen 
and  together  they  traveled  side  by  side  down 
through  the  years.  In  1894  they  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding  and  several  friends  were  present 
who  had  attended  their  marriage.  Of  these  James 
White  from  Hanover,  who  had  been  best  man  at 
their  wedding,  and  also  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ellas  Wood- 
ruff were  able  to  attend. 

In  1898  Mr.  Bowen  passed  on  to  the  long  jour- 
ney alone  and  Mrs.  Bowen  was  left  to  spend  her 
remaining  years  among  her  children  and  friends, 
a  beloved  gentle  woman. 

With  the  advancing  years  Mrs.  Bowen  was  con- 
fined more  and  more  to  her  home  and  as  her 
thoughts  turned  to  her  early  life  she  often  wrote 
down  the  interesting  parts  as  she  remembered 
them.  Being  a  woman  of  extreme  refinement  and 
sensitiveness  she  lived  her  quiet  life  amidst  her 
flowers,  her  reading,  and  her  own  thoughts. 

The  following  pages  are  selections  taken  from 
her  writings  and  given  as  a  tribute  to  her  memory : 

My  Recollections  of  Pioneer  Life 

About  the  first  thing  that  I  remember  is  being 
in  an  Indian  wigwam  that  stood  between  our  house 
and  the  river.  I  was  picking  kernels  of  corn  out 
of  a  wooden  bowl  of  soup  that  was  on  a  bench, 
and  tasting  them,  as  I  did  not  like  the  taste,  and 

[     72     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

happened  to  look  up  I  saw  the  old  squaw  who 
lived  there  standing  in  the  doorway  laughing*  at 
me.  I  was  very  much  frightened  and  jumped 
down  from  the  block  of  wood  upon  which  I  was 
standing  and  ran  past  her  with  all  my  might  to- 
ward home,  and  to  my  childish  imagination,  escap- 
ing from  danger. 

A  confused  memory  lives  with  me  of  Indians 
with  blankets  over  their  shoulders,  with  buckskin 
leggings,  and  buckskin  moccasins  on  their  feet, 
and  with  their  hunting  knives  stuck  in  their  belts. 
They  would  have  feathers  stuck  in  the  tops  of 
their  heads  of  coarse,  greasy  black  hair,  that  hung 
down  to  their  shoulders.  The  squaws  with  woolen 
petticoats  that  reached  below  the  knees,  showing 
buckskin  leggings  and  moccasins,  sometimes 
trimmed  with  beads.  Short  calico  gowns  pinned  to- 
gether with  large  silver  brooches,  and  with  great 
strings  of  long,  white  beads  around  their  necks, 
hanging  down  to  their  waists.  They  would  have 
their  little  papooses  strapped  to  a  board,  and 
hanging  on  their  backs,  setting  them  up  beside  a 
tree  when  not  traveling.  The  little  sharp,  black 
eyed  babies  seemed  to  enjoy  the  situation,  for  I 
never  heard  one  cry.  I  also  remember  of  Indians 
sleeping  on  the  kitchen  floor  with  their  feet  to- 
ward the  fire  some  cold  nights,  when  mother's 
kind  heart  would  not  let  them  be  turned  out  into 
the  cold. 

My  mother  soon  learned  to  talk  with  them,  part- 
ly  in   their  own  language,   and  partly  in   English, 

[      73      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

with  a  generous  mixture  of  signs.  My  father,  who 
did  not  try  so  much  to  learn  their  language,  would 
send  them  to  my  mother  to  do  their  trading. 

These  Indians  would  have  their  drinking  sprees, 
and  at  such  times  they  always  selected  one  of 
their  own  number  to  keep  sober,  he  to  take  care 
of  the  others.  They  would  give  up  their  knives, 
guns,  tomahawks,  or  anything  else  that  could  be 
used  to  injure  themselves  or  others  with,  into  the 
keeping  of  the  sober  one,  and  then  proceeded  to 
get  dead  drunk  and  lie  around  on  the  ground  en- 
tirely unconscious  of  surroundings.  On  one  ol 
these  occasions  an  old  squaw  came  across  an  ax 
that  my  father  had  left  by  the  wood  pile,  and 
grabbing  it  up  she  ran  toward  an  Indian  lying 
drunk  on  the  ground.  My  father  happened  to 
see  her  and  running  after  her  grabbed  her  arm 
just  as  she  had  raised  the  ax  above  the  drunken 
Indian's  head.  She  then  fell  to  the  ground  as 
drunk  as  the  other. 

Our  log  house,  as  I  remember  it,  was  a  double 
house,  that  is  two  houses  of  one  room  each,  with 
an  outside  entry  or  space  between  roofed  over. 
One  of  these  was  used  for  a  sitting  and  sleeping 
room,  and  the  other  for  a  kitchen  or  "eating" 
room  as  we  expressed  it  in  those  days.  Both  of 
the  rooms  had  large  fireplaces  which  took  up  al- 
most one  end  of  the  room.  These  fireplaces  had 
a  nice  hearthstone  and  our  great  ambition  was  to 
"keep  our  own  hearthstones  clean."  There  was 
a  good  puncheon  floor  that  we  kept  scrubbed  with 
a  split  broom.  The  split  broom  was  made  by  peel- 

[     74     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ing  a  hickory  pole,  or  shredding  it  to  within  a  foot 
or  so  of  the  end,  then  the  splits  were  drawn  over 
the  end  and  firmly  tied.  These  made  excellent 
brooms  for  scrubbing  those  puncheon  floors,  and 
soon  wore  them  smooth.  This  broom  making  was 
evening  work  for  the  men  of  the  families.  We 
gathered  rushes  that  grew  near  Plum  river,  and 
tied  them  in  bunches  about  as  large  around  as 
your  wrist,  and  these  were  used  for  scrubbing  our 
tables  and  split  bottom  chairs.  Over  the  fireplace 
were  two  crotched  wooden  pins  where  the  gun  was 
kept,  the  powder  horn  and  other  accoutrements 
were  hung  back  in  the  corner,  ready  for  immedi- 
ate use  should  a  wild  cat  or  stray  wolf  come  along, 
or  if  chance  brought  a  wild  turkey  or  a  wild 
goose.  We  were  not  afraid  of  the  Indians,  as  they 
were  very  peaceful. 

A  lamp,  in  shape  such  as  those  carried  in  the 
hands  by  Virgins  of  Bible  records  ''who  hurried 
out  to  meet  the  bridegroom/'  hung  by  the  side 
of  the  chimney.  This  lamp  was  kept  well  filled 
with  coon's  oil,  and  had  a  cotton  rag  for  a  wick. 
But  finally  something  happened  to  this  lamp  and 
in  its  place  we  used  a  saucer  filled  with  coon's 
oil  with  three  or  four  rags  for  wicks  stuck  around 
its  edge.  After  a  while  the  saucer  lamp  was  laid 
aside  and  the  beeswax  candle  took  its  place.  This 
candle  was  made  by  having  the  wax  warm  enough 
to  work  with  the  hands,  and  rolling  it  around  a 
rag  for  a  wick.  To  do  this  we  took  a  board  or 
some  smooth  surface  on  which  to  roll  it,  and 
commenced  by  putting  a  thin  layer  of  wax  along 

[     75     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

the  length  of  the  wick,  and  then  began  to  work 
it  and  roll  it  smooth  and  firm,  this  was  repeated 
with  another  layer,  and  another,  until  the  candle 
was  the  right  size.  When  we  had  this  candle  set 
in  an  iron  candlestick,  we  considered  that  we  were 
indeed  getting  into  the  very  luxuries  of  life.  We 
used  these  candles  until  we  raised  our  own  beef 
and  had  tallow,  then  we  had  "tallow  dips'"  which 
we  considered  a  great  improvement  on  the  wax 
candle.  To  be  sure  we  had  the  wax  in  great 
abundance,  for  all  that  was  necessary  to  do  when 
wTe  wanted  honey  was  to  go  into  the  woods  and 
cut  down  a  bee  tree  and  gather  the  honey  from 
the  store  inside,  carry  it  home  in  buckets  or  tubs, 
sort  out  the  nice  unbroken  comb  and  lay  it  aside 
for  use.  The  broken  pieces  were  put  in  a  bag  and 
hung  up  in  a  warm  place  to  drip  into  a  pan  or  jar. 
Afterward  this  vessel  was  set  in  a  cold  place  for 
the  honey  to  harden  and  become  candied,  when  it 
would  become  white  and  could  be  sliced  with  a 
knife  and  was  much  esteemed  as  a  great  delicacy 
and  was  greatly  preferred  to  honey  in  the  comb. 
After  all  the  honey  that  would  had  dripped  through 
the  bag,  water  was  poured  over  the  comb  and  it 
was  allowed  to  drip  again  into  another  jar.  This 
time  the  jar  was  placed  in  a  warm  place  for  a  few 
days  and  it  soon  began  to  work  and  sparkle  and 
from  this  we  had  a  drink  known  as  matheglon, 
and  it  was  considered  almost  as  good  as  cider. 
After  this  last  was  made,  the  honey  comb  was 
made  into  wax  and  from  this  the  aforesaid 
candles  were  made. 

In  those   days  my  mother  also   grated  corn  and 
[      76      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

made  starch,  and  in  case  of  emergency  made 
saleratns  by  burning*  corn  cobs  in  an  iron  kettle. 
I  hardly  know  the  process,  but  the  ashes  or  liquid 
from  these  burned  cobs  made  a  good  substitute  for 
saleratns. 

We  shelled  corn  in  the  evenings  to  send  to 
Craig's  mill  on  Apple  River  to  be  ground  into 
meal,  out  of  which  we  made  our  corn  bread.  My 
father  raised  wheat  one  year,  threshed  it  out  with 
a  flail  on  a  floor  and  then  took  it  to  Craig's  mill 
and  had  it  ground  into  flour.  Out  of  this  flour 
my  mother  made  excellent  "salt  risen"  bread 
which  she  baked  in  a  Dutch  oven  before  the  big 
fireplace. 

We  had  a  spring  house  in  which  to  keep  our 
butter  and  milk,  a  "root  house"  where  we  kept 
our  vegetables  through  the  winter,  and  poles  of 
sliced  pumpkin  hung  over  head  to  dry  for  winter 
use.  Wild  fruit  such  as  crabapples,  plums,  black- 
berries, raspberries,  strawberries,  and  gooseberries, 
grew  in  great  abundance  all  around  us. 

We  remained  in  Galena  during  the  Black  Hawk 
War  and  while  there  we  made  the  acquaintance 
of  some  very  fine  people,  among  them  being  the 
Gratiots  and  the  family  of  Reuben  Brush. 

My  mother  took  me  with  her  to  visit  the  latter 
named  family  one  evening.  Their  little  girl,  Harriet, 
about  my  age,  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led  me 
to  her  little  chair,  as  she  said:  "Take  a  chair." 
This  was  the  first  little  chair  that  I  had  ever 
seen,  as  my  own  seat  at  home  was  a  three  legged 

[     77     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

stool.  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  her  polite- 
ness and  we  became  good  friends  at  once,  and  I 
am  glad  to  say  this  friendship  was  kept  up  many 
years  after. 

I  think  jt  was  at  this  time  that  I  attended  Mrs. 
Kent's  infant  Sunday  school,  where  the  little  ones 
all  knelt  around  a  young  girl  about  15  years  of 
age,  who  also  knelt  and  we  repeated  in  unison 
with  her  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Once  I  toppled  over 
against  the  next  one  by  me  and  she  toppled  also, 
but  it  did  not  go  any  farther,  and  I  was  very 
much  ashamed  of  myself  for  my  great  ambition 
was  to  keep  upright  at  prayer  time.  At  this  place 
I  saw  for  the  first  time  a  picture.  It  was  a  large 
oil  painting  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  with  Adam 
and  Eve  in  the  'midst,  half  hidden  by  trees  and 
shrubbery,  and  looking  very  beautiful,  and  my 
ideas  of  Heaven  were  made  to  correspond  with 
this  picture  and  the  explanation  given  by  Mrs. 
Kent.  I  do  not  remember  that  she  said  anything 
about  the  serpent,  but  I  am  sure  there  was  none 
shown  in   the   picture. 

After  peace  was  declared  in  the  year  1833,  the 
three  families  moved  back  to  our  old  home,  and 
took  up  life  and  work  once  more  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  cornfields  were  brought  Into 
order  again,  and  we  children  returned  to  our  old 
occupation  of  keeping  the  birds  out  of  the  field, 
as  the  black  birds  came  in  great  flocks  in  the  Fall, 
when  the  corn  was  just  beginning  to  ripen.  My 
brother,  Lorenzo  Dow,  was  not  tall  enough  to  load 
a  gun,  but  could  shoot  it  off,  after  it  was  loaded, 

[     78     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

so  my  sister  Harriet  would  load  it  for  him,  then 
clap  her  hands  over  her  ears  and  run  back,  while 
he  would  shoot  to  scare  the  birds  away.  While 
this  was  going  on  my  younger  sister,  Mary  Jane, 
and  myself  would  stay  up  on  a  scaffold  built  up 
in  a  tree  and  add  to  the  noise  by  clapping  our 
hands  and  drumming  on  tin  pans  and  screaming 
with  all  our  might,  and  then  watch  to  see  what 
part  of  the  field  the  birds  would  light  in  next, 
and  so  on  day  after  day.  It  was  thus  we  lived 
two  or  three  summers,  always  out  of  doors,  stroll- 
ing along  the  bank  of  the  river,  picking  up  the 
shells  and  carnelians,  wading  in  the  water,  and 
paddling  a  canoe,  but  I  never  "paddled  my  own 
canoe"  as  there  was  always  someone  to  paddle  it 
for  me,  and  always  has  been  through  all  my  life. 

We  often  crossed  the  river  in  this  little  canoe, 
to  the  place  now  called  Sabula,  but  in  those  days 
there  was  not  even  an  Indian  wigwam  to  mark 
the  entrance  to  the  unbounded  west.  But  there 
was  a  beautiful  pebbly  beach  where  we  could  find 
carnelians  of  great  beauty  and  also  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  clam  shells,  so  we  made  frequent 
visits  to  this  shore  which  was  one  of  Nature's 
beauty   spots." 

As  the  little  settlement  rounded  out  its  second 
decade  and  reached  the  year  1850,  the  town  was 
well  established  and  the  dreams  of  the  Pioneers 
were  coming  true. 

The  citizens,  with  true  aim  for  advancement 
had,  in  1847,  built  the  little  stone  school  house, 
and  the  ladies,  as  usual,  had  given  entertainments 

[     79     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

and  solicited  subscriptions  until  they  had  a  fund 
sufficient  to  purchase  a  bell. 

When  this  bell,  which  bears  the  date,  1847,  was 
rung:  for  the  first  time  from  atop  the  wonderful 
little  building,  there  was  great  excitement  and 
joy  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Although  the 
street  in  front  of  the  new  school  house  was  a  mud 
hole  in  rainy  weather,  by  the  liberal  use  of  saw 
dust  from  the  mill,  the  pupils  were  able  to  reach 
the  door,  and  within  its  walls  of  stone,  the  youth 
of  the  community  gathered  for  the  first  time  in 
a  regular  school  building. 

It  served  as  a  social  center  and  also  for  various 
church  denominations,  as  well  as  a  place  for  hold- 
ing elections.  * 

The  religious  life  of  the  community  had  been 
fostered  and  kept  alive  by  the  settlers  themselves, 
assisted  by  an  occasional  circuit  rider,  and  two 
years  after  the  school  house  was  built,  in  1849, 
the  Methodists  undertook  the  erection  of  a  small 
frame  church  in  the  north  part  of  town. 

And  now,  after  all  these  years  have  passed,  we 
find  in  an  old  ledger  the  entries  which  tell  of  the 
hard  struggle  the  Pioneers  made  to  secure  that 
modest  place  of  worship. 

Under  "Subscriptions  to  the  meeting  house," 
Vance  L.  Davidson  is  credited  with  $21.53  for  the 
lot  and  William  Blundell  with  $12.00  for  laying 
the  foundation,  while  Luther  Bowen  is  credited 
with  fifty   cents  for  surveying  the   ground.     Few 

[     80     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

cash  subscriptions  were  available,  the  largest  sum 
being  donated  by  John  Fuller  and  Reuben  Gray 
who  each  gave  ten  dollars.  Still  others  donated 
material,  small  sums,  or  their  labor,  and  the  name 
of  Ashby,  Thomas  Roof,  William  and  Samuel 
Hitchcock,  R.  Richardson,  D.  B.  Holt,  John  Smith, 
Enoch  Chamberlain,  George  Davidson,  E.  Wood- 
ruff and  M.  Dupuis  are  among  those  recorded  as 
having  contributed  to  this  first  church,  and  little 
by  little  the  building  became  a  reality  and  it 
stands  on  the  same  spot  today,  although  convert- 
ed into  two  small  dwellings. 

With  the  year  1850  we  will  end  the  "Westward 
March  of  the  Pioneers."  The  excitement  caused 
by  the  opening  up  of  #the  fertile  lands  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  had  somewhat  subsided,  and 
only  occasionally  a  pioneer  with  his  axe,  his  rifle, 
and  his  young  wife  moved  out  from  the  East,  into 
the  wilderness,  to  build  his  lonely  cabin  home. 

I  am  glad  that  I  have  been  able  to  delve  into 
the  old  records  and  traditions,  and  bring  forth  a 
few  echoes  from  that  almost  unknown  period  of 
our  past. 

So  now  our  story  comes  to  its  conclusion,  and 
it  is  with  regret  we  say  farewell  to  all  our  old 
friends.  And  it  is  hoped  that  the  historian  of  our 
second  hundred  years  will  be  able  to  find  such 
staunchness  of  character,  together  with  such  good, 
lovable  citizens  as  we  have  met  in  these  early  years. 


[     81     ] 


August  19,  20,  21  and  22, 
1928 

nHE   Centennial  celebration 
inJionor  of  the  one  hun- 
dredth birthday  anniversary  of 
the  settlement  of  Savanna. 

A  brief  review  which  out- 
lines the  program  and  gives 
such  other  matter  in  general 
as  should  be  preserved  in  our 
history. 


The  Pioneer  Monument 


iftgggggjjggagjg  ***  *»§  £&£  ***  e«*  ***  tee  *«&  *> 

*  — — —  i 


ONE  HUNDRED   YEARS   LATER 

[HEN  the  City  of  Savanna  reached  her  hun- 
dredth milestone,  it  was  deemed  fitting  to 
celebrate  the  event  in  a  manner  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary, and  on  a  more  elaborate  scale  than  anything 
which  had  ever  before  been  undertaken.  As  the 
time  approached  much  interest  was  manifested, 
and  a  meeting  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  form- 
ing an  organization  to  take  charge  and  prepare 
plans  for  the  event. 

The  meeting  was  held  in  the  Township  High 
School  and  was  attended  by  many  men  and  women 
from  all  organizations  and  denominations,  all  en- 
thusiastic in  promulgating  the  project.  This  meet- 
ing resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  Centennial  Cele- 
bration Committee  and  the  Executive  officers  were 
elected,  with  C.  N.  Jenks,  Chairman,  Miss  Mamie 
I.  Marth,  Secretary,  and  Bruce  Machen,  Treasurer. 
Later,  Miss  Marth  resigned  and  J.  E.  King  was  ap- 
pointed in  her  place. 

The  Times-Journal  issued  a  Centennial  edition 
of  thirty-six  pages  on  December  30,  1927,  com- 
memorating the  founding  of  Savanna  one  hundred 
years  before.  Many  articles  were  contributed  by 
the  citizens  on  the  history  of  the  industries, 
churches,  and  local  institutions,  and  the  first  in- 
stallment of  the  "Story  of  Savanna"  appeared.  The 

[      83      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

papers  were  widely  circulated,  and  many  copies 
were  sent  to  friends  and  relatives  all  over  the 
world.  This  seemed  to  bring  the  subject  of  the 
Centennial  into  the  foremost  topic  of  the  day  in 
Savanna. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1928,  plans  for  the 
celebration  began  to  assume  a  definite  shape. 
Various  committees  were  appointed  to  take  care  of 
the  work,  and  a  program  was  arranged. 

The  dates  of  August  19,  20,  21,  and  22  were  se- 
lected as  being  more  suitable  as  to  time  of  the 
year  for  a  homecoming,  than  November  Fourth, 
the  actual  date. 

The  city  wa^s  cleaned,  shined,  polished  and 
decorated  as  never  before,  and  a  feeling  of  co- 
operation was  shown  on  every  hand  and  when  the 
time  came,  all  was  in  readiness. 

The  History  and  Marker  Committee  had  com- 
piled a  book  which  they  called  "  Savanna,  Old  and 
New,  a  Picture  Book."  This  was  the  hardest  task 
undertaken  by  any  committee  and  the  town  was 
searched  for  rare  pictures  of  the  old  days,  and 
many  new  pictures  were  taken.  The  result  was 
most  satisfactory  and,  when  placed  on  file,  will  be 
a  truthful  record  for  the  next   Centennial. 

The  Centennial  Celebration  opened  on  Sunday, 
August  19th  with  specially  prepared  services  and 
programs  in  all  the  churches. 

In  the  forenoon  a  "Pageant  of  Progress,"  writ- 
ten by  Mrs.  Chauncey  Ferguson,  was  given  on  the 

[      84     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

lawn   and   terrace  in  the  Lincoln   School   grounds, 
by  the  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

The  Catholic  Church,  under  Father  William  Mc- 
Guire,  celebrated  a  solemn  high  field  mass  in  Old 
Mill  Park  which  was  attended  by  more  than  a 
thousand  people. 

Special  Centennial  services  were  held  Sunday 
morning  at  the  First  Baptist  Church  with  the  Rev. 
C.  C.  Colby,  pastor  of  the  church  officiating,  with 
special  music  for  the  occasion. 

Rev.  D.  W.  Barclay  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
took  for  his  subject,  "What  the  Stone  Face  Saw," 
and  gave  an  interesting  sermon.  There  was  a 
large  attendance  at  this  service. 

At  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  which  was 
beautifully  decorated  for  the  occasion,  the  Rev. 
Walter  S.  Pond  of  St.  Barnabas  Church,  Chicago, 
preached  a  sermon  on  Psalm  77,  verse  5,  "the 
days  that  are  past."  There  was  specially  prepared 
music,  and  a  large   attendance. 

Sunday  evening  hundreds  gathered  in  the  Lin- 
coln School  yard  where  union  services  were  held 
with  an  especially  arranged  program.  Bachman's 
Band  which  was  here  during  the  Centennial,  gave 
a  sacred  concert  and  a  chorus  of  singers  from  all 
the  choirs,  rendered  beautiful  old  hymns,  the 
audience  joining  in  the  singing  of  "I  Love  to  Tell 
the  Story." 


[      85      ] 


DEDICATION  OF  PIONEER  MONUMENT 

Monday,   August    20 

/SpHE  official  program  called  for  the  opening  of 
^£V  the  registration  of  all  residents  and  visitors  at 
the  Public  Library.  The  Trustees  had  two  specially 
prepared  registers  for  the  occasion  and  during  the 
Centennial  year,  more  than  two  thousand  persons 
have  registered.  The  librarian,  Miss  Hattie  Grreve, 
with  her  assistants  and  extra  helpers,  was  kept 
busy  with  the  registration  and  making  the  Library 
the  social  headquarters. 

The  two  registers  will  be  filed  in  the  Library 
for  reference  for  future  generations. 

During  the  morning  many  residents  and  visitors 
gathered  on  North  Main  Street,  which  is  Savanna's 
historic  ground,  to  witness  the  unveiling  and  dedi- 
cation of  the  Pioneer  Monument  presented  to  the 
City  of  his  birth  by  Frank  P.  Bowen. 

Only  one  century  has  passed  since  the  three  most 
primitive  log  cabins,  standing  huddled  together  on 
the  grounds  nearby,  constituted  the  only  habita- 
tions in  what  is  now  the  City  of  Savanna,  and  the 
cnly  settlement  within  a  radius  of  many  miles. 

It  was  an  inspiring  and  momentous  occasion 
when  the  friends  and  descendants  gathered,  with 
feelings  of  love  and  respect,  to  mark  in  so  fitting 
and  permanent  a  manner  the  ground  about  which 
so  much  of  our  history  clings. 

[     86     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

The  program  for  this  most  important  event  of 
the  Centennial  celebration  is  given  in  full  in  order 
that  the  words  spoken  and  the  tribute  paid  the 
Pioneers  may  be  recorded  in  the  history  of  Sa- 
vanna. 

Note :  We  are  indebted  to  Miss  Mamie  I.  Marth 
for  her  full  and  accurate  report  of  the  dedication 
and  unveiling  ceremony. 


I      87      1 


jP  333  333  333  333  333  333  feSfe  fefeft  g£S  ggg  frfrfr  gggffr 


DEDICATION  OF  MONUMENT 

Program 

Selection  by  Bachman's  Million  Dollar   Band. 
Introduction  by  Lawrence  H.  Miles,  Chairman : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  Girls  and  Boys: 

We  are  gathered  here  this  week  to  celebrate  the 
first  one  hundred  years  in  the  life  of  our  city  of 
Savanna ;  nestled  here  at  the  very  foot  of  these 
magnificent  bluffs  along  the  world  famed  Missis- 
sippi. Naturally  our  thoughts  are  with  the  hard 
adventurous  pioneers — the  first  families  of  our 
city — and  today,  especially,  we  come  to  render 
them  honor,  glory  and  reverence. 

No  Centennial  celebration  can  be  complete  with- 
out this  spirit  of  reverence  and  worship,  so  may 
I  ask  that  you  all — the  young  people  particularly 
— will  give  evidence  of  this  spirit  by  absolute 
quiet  and  close  attention. 

Reverend  Walter  S.  Pond,  grandson  of  Marshall 
Brooks  Pierce,  oldest  son  of  Aaron  Pierce  and  his 
wife,  Harriet  Bellows  Pierce,  a  rector  in  a  large 
city  church,  but  this  summer  one  of  our  pastors, 
will  open  the  memorial  service  with  prayer. 

Reverend  Pond : 
Prayer : 

0  Almighty  God,  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of 
Lords,  who  rulest  all  things  in  Heaven  and  Earth, 

[     88     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

we  adore  Thee  as  the  giver  of  every  good  and  per- 
fect gift.  As  the  author  of  all  blessings  temporal 
and  spiritual;  as  the  bestower  of  all  civil  as  well 
as  religious  benefits.  We  thank  Thee  for  that 
faith  which  thou  hast  extended  over  the  people  of 
this  country  and  especially  this  part  of  the  country, 
from  the  beginning;  for  the  peculiar  Providence 
by  which,  from  the  earliest  period  of  their  history, 
they  were  made  ready  for  the  important  part  they 
were  to  perform  in  the  execution  of  Thy  mighty 
plans  in  the  development  of  mankind. 

We  thank  Thee  especially  for  that  noble  body 
of  men  and  women,  by  whose  heroic  self  sacrific- 
ing efforts  in  the  face  of  great  difficulties,  the 
safety  of  our  Nation  was  secured  and  we  enabled 
to  enter  upon  our  present  splendid  heritage  of 
freedom  and  prosperity. 

Ever  preserve  in  us  a  recognition  of  their  self 
denying  labors  and  sacrifices. 

As  we  today  engage  in  this  commemorative  cere- 
mony and  unveil  and  place  this  monument  in  the 
memory  of  thy  servants  Aaron  Pierce  and  his 
wife,  Harriet  Bellows  Pierce,  their  children,  Mar- 
shall Brooks  Pierce,  Harriet  M.  Pierce,  Lorenzo 
Dow  Pierce,  Sila  Pierce  Bowen,  Mary  Jane  Pierce 
Rhodes,  Henry  Clay  Pierce,  Lenora  Pierce  Carson, 
George  Davidson  and  his  wife  and  his  son,  Vance 
Davidson,  William  Blundell  and  his  wife,  and  as 
we  have  erected  this  stone  as  an  honorable  mem- 
orial to  those  to  whom  both  our  State,  and  espec- 
ially this  part   of  the   State,  are  indebted  for  ex- 

[     89     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

traordinary  services,  at  a  critical  time  in  our  his- 
tory, may  we  recall  with  proper  gratitude  what 
they  and  others  of  a  like  spirit  wrought  for  us, 
and  may  the  fire  of  the  same  loyalty  and  patriot- 
ism that  burned  in  them  be  ennobled  in  us  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  who,  when  we  pray,  hath 
taught  us  to  say: 

Our  Father  which  are  in  Heaven,  hallowed  be 
Thy  name ;  Thy  Kingdom  come ;  Thy  will  be  done, 
in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our 
daily  bread,  and  forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  for- 
give our  debtors.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation, 
but  deliver  us  from  evil :  For  thine  is  the  kingdom, 
and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.  Amen. 

Chairman,  Mr.  Miles : 

The  memorial  marker  will  be  unveiled  by  Jason 
Pierce  Law,  the  youngest  son  of  Ives  and  Louise 
Rhodes  Law,  who  is  also  the  youngest  representa- 
tive of  the  fifth  generation  of  Pierces.  He  will  be 
escorted  by  his  brothers,  Richard  Rhodes  Law  and 
Robert  Henry  Law,  and  also  by  the  daughters  of 
Alfred  M.  Pierce,  Fern  Marion  Pierce  and  Phyllis 
Mary  Pierce,  likewise  the  fifth  generation  of 
Pierces. 

Our  next  speaker  is  not  a  son  of  Savanna's  first 
settlers  but  a  man  himself  of  sturdy  stock  who 
already  has  made  an  enviable  name  for  himself  as 
a  leader  and  pioneer  in  his  profession  and  in  busi- 
ness as  well,  Judge  Franklin  J.  Stransky,  who  will 
deliver  the  presentation  address. 

Judge  Stransky: 

[     90     ] 


:'^ 

w\ 

'V/  S\~\ 

ON  THIS*  GR 
STOOD  iffi&  mffik 

OCCUPIED  BY 

AARON  PIERCE  AND'hIS*  WIFE; 

HARRIET  BELLOWS'  PIERCE, 

AND  THEIR  EOUR  GHIL*DREN. 

NOVEMBER  4;  1828 
THE'  I^IRST  WHITE  SETTLERS 
OF  SAVANNA-." 

Erected  in  memory  of  his  mother 
SILA  PIERCE  BOWEN, 

BY 
FRANK  PIERCE  BOWEN. 


The  bronze  tablet  on  the  granite 
monolith 


<»a**S*33*33»***a**33fefefefefr:fcfr6fr«<«*:«g:gfrfefr^ 


DEDICATION   ADDRESS 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

On  this  100th  Anniversary  of  the  founding  of 
Savanna,  we  meet  here  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
honor  and  homage  to  the  first  settlers  of  Savanna, 
for  the  purpose  of  praising  them  and  seeking  to 
emulate  them,  and  for  the  purpose  of  dedicating  to 
their  memory  a  monument  of  granite  and  bronze, 
from  which  we  trust  and  pray  future  generations 
may  take  inspiration  and  courage. 

It  has  been  said  that  life  is  a  succession  of 
phases,  a  succession  of  conditions.  This  monument 
which  is  presented  today  and  which  will  be  grate- 
fully accepted  by  the  City  of  Savanna,  typifies  in 
particular  a  part  of  the  successions  or  stages  of 
the  history  of  Savanna. 

You  will  note  that  the  lower  portion  of  this 
monument,  which  is  before  you,  is  made  in  the 
rough,  in  the  state,  almost,  which  nature  made  it. 
You  will  observe  that  the  upper  or  central  part  of 
the  monument  shows  more  the  marks  of  the  hands 
of  human  genius,  and  you  will  note  at  the  top  the 
smoothened  surface  which  indicates  a  still  larger 
amount  of  energy  and  effort  and  refinement  on 
the  part  of  the  sculptor.  Savanna's  history  is  akin 
to  these  symbolic  portions  of  this  monument. 

In  1828  Aaron  Pierce  and  his  wife  and  four  chil- 

[     91     1 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

dren  left  Galena,  Illinois,  in  a  vehicle  drawn  by 
oxen,  led  by  Yance  Davidson  on  horseback.  Aaron 
Pierce  had  known  of  the  place,  which  we  now  call 
Savanna,  and  had  noted  that  it  was  a  beautiful 
place  surrounded  on  the  east  by  hills  and  on  the 
west  by  the  grand  old  Mississippi  River.  He  had 
visions  of  the  future  for  himself  and  for  his  wife 
and  children  and  their  children's  children.  With 
bravery  and  courage  he  and  his  wife  and  children 
traveled  along  untrodden  roads,  blazing  their  way 
through  the  vast  forest  of  timber  and  thicket  until 
finally,  after  days  of  travel  and  labor  and  toil,  he 
reached  the  upper  part  of  Savanna,  as  nearly  as  we 
can  ascertain — the  Pinnacle — of  which  we  are  now 
in  the  shadow,  v 

With  much  difficulty — (and  it  has  been  told  me 
from  authentic  source) — it  was  necessary  to  cut 
trees  to  blaze  a  path  through  the  side  of  the  hills, 
and  in  order  that  the  descent  might  not  be  too 
abrupt  it  was  necessary  to  cut  a  large  tree  and  tie 
the  tree  to  the  wheel  of  the  wagon  so  that  the 
descent  would  not  be  disastrous. 

On  November  4th,  1828,  Aaron  Pierce  and  his 
family  reached  this  spot  and  found  temporary  re- 
fuge in  an  abandoned  Indian  wigwam  which  stood, 
as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  where  this  monu- 
ment, which  is  being  dedicated,  stands.  Later 
they  were  able  to  build  a  log  cabin  and  by  Christ- 
mas time  of  the  year  1828  they  were  nicely  settled. 
If  we  could  look  back  a  hundred  years  and  see 
Savanna  as  it  then  was  we  would  see  something 
like  this :  vast  forests  upon  the  hills  and  upon  the 

[     92     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

bluffs,  no  highway  that  civilized  man  had  ever 
trodden,  the  only  thing  in  the  way  of  arteries  for 
travel  were  the  devious  Indian  trails  which  were 
hard  to  locate  and  hard  to  keep  when  located. 

A  short  time  later  in  the  day  the  other  two  fam- 
ilies of  these  first  pioneer  settlers  arrived  in  a 
flatboat,  having  come  by  water  down  the  Fever 
River  from  Galena  into  the  Mississippi,  and  landed 
here  joining  the  other  party  which  came  by  land. 
These  two  families  were  George  Davidson  and  his 
wife  and  William  Blundell  and  wife. 

These  three  families  blazed  the  way  for  the 
future  of  Savanna.  Can  you  imagine  the  courage 
which  it  took  for  those  lone  families  to  travel 
through  unknown  regions  in  order  to  reach  a  des- 
tination which  they  could  build  up  as  a  place  they 
could  call  their  home,  as  a  place  that  they  could 
cultivate  and  develop,  as  a  place  in  which  they 
and  their  posterity  might  live  and  be  happy? 

The  three  families  named  lived  togther  in  peace 
and  harmony  and  divided  the  territory.  There 
was  a  log  house  established  by  the  Davidsons 
where  the  Dupuis  house  now  stands,  another  log- 
house  established  for  the  Pierce  family  where  the 
old  Rhodes  home  now  is,  and  the  third  log  cabin 
was  located  where  the  Stransky  homestead  now 
stands  and  belonged  to  the  Blundells.  Each  family 
was  allocated  four  acres  of  ground  adjacent  to 
their  cabins,  which  they  cultivated  and  used  for 
themselves.  In  addition  to  the  said  land  there  was 
land  which  was  grown  up  in  high  grass  and  suita- 

[     93     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

ble  for  farm  purposes  which  was  allocated  to  the 
families;  each  person  had  about  twelve  acres. 

Later  on,  in  about  the  year  1834,  Luther  Bowen, 
a  young  surveyor  from  New  York,  came  with  a 
party  of  Government  Surveyors  to  Galena  and 
pjassed  through  here,  and  noting  the  natural  beau- 
ty of  Savanna  and  its  potential  possibilities,  he 
returned  later  and  purchased  a  part  of  the  main 
portion  of  the  City  of  Savanna,  which  he  as  an  en- 
gineer and  surveyor  laid  out  into  lots  and  blocks 
as  the  original  town  of  Savanna.  Later  on  David 
Bowen,  his  brother,  and  the  father  of  Frank  Pierce 
Bowen,  came  from  New  York,  traveling  down  the 
Erie  Canal,  and  finally  arrived  at  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan. Having  no  other  means  of  transportation 
and  having  a  "devouring"  desire  (I  use  the  word 
"devouring"  advisedly  because)  he  walked  all 
the  way  from  Detroit,  Michigan  to  Savanna.  When 
he  came  to  Savanna  he  came  out  on  the  brow  of 
this  Pinnacle  and  looking  down  into  the  valley  be- 
low saw  the  log  cabins  occupied  by  the  three  fam- 
ilies referred  to  by  me.  Fascinated  with  the  en- 
vironment, he  too  settled  here.  He  also  was  a 
descendant  of  that  great  nobility  of  this  world, — 
the  nobility  of  labor. 

When  the  Pierce  and  Davidson  and  Blundell 
families  came  here  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a 
stove ;  there  was  nothing  but  an  open  hearth  to 
furnish  heat  for  the  log  cabin  and  to  furnish  the 
means  of  cooking  the  food  for  the  table.  At  that 
time  kerosene  was  unknown  so  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  light  even  with  lamps  burning  kerosene  oil. 

[     94     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

The  light  which  was  furnished  was  from  the  oil 
of  coon,  because  coon  were  very  plentiful  at  that 
time  and  made  an  excellent  fuel  for  burning  of 
lights.  The  method  employed  was  to  take  a  rag 
and  soak  it  in  the  coon  oil.  Of  course  it  made  a 
poor  light,  but  it  was  a  light  which  guided  these 
people;  a  light  by  which  they  sometimes  read  the 
Holy  Bible.  It  was  a  light  by  which  they  acquired 
their  meagre  knowledge  of  the  outside  world.  It 
is  particularly  fitting  today  to  know  that  the  man 
who  is  presenting  this  monument  has  done  more 
to  light  the  streets  of  the  City  of  Savanna  than 
any  one  else  in  our  community. 

We  are  very,  very  grateful  to  Mr.  Frank  Pierce 
Bowen  today  because  of  his  gift  to  the  City  of  Sa- 
vanna. Mr.  Bowen,  with  the  love  and  devotion 
which  he  had  for  his  mother;  Mr.  Bowen,  with 
patriotism  and  loyalty  to  the  City  of  Savanna,  has 
presented  this  monument  in  granite  and  bronze, 
hoping  that  it  will  be  an  inspiration  for  future 
generations  that  they  may  go  on  with  the  good 
work  which  his  grandfather  and  grandmother 
nobly  started  on  this  spot. 

I  have  often  thought  how  much  courage  and 
bravery  it  takes  for  any  person  to  leave  the  land 
or  State  of  his  birth  and  go  to  foreign  countries 
to  mingle  with  the  people  of  foreign  countries  or 
foreign  States,  but  bear  in  mind  that  Aaron  Pierce 
and  his  family,  and  the  first  settlers  of  Savanna, 
were  not  going  from  their  own  homes  to  other 
homes  which  had  been  theretofore  established 
among  other  people,  but  were   going  out  into  the 

[     95     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

arms  of  nature  to  blaze  a  trail  for  themselves  and 
for  their  posterity,  with  no  companions  excepting 
the  wild  animals,  which  I  dare  say,  at  night,  made 
the  welkin  ring  with  their  cries.  At  that  time  wild 
cats  and  wolves  were  in  abundance  in  this  vicinity. 
Deer  and  occasionally  bear  were  to  be  seen  here, 
but  these  families,  with  all  of  their  courage  and 
all  of  the  stamina  which  mark  the  early  pioneers 
of  America,  came  here  unafraid,  undaunted,  with 
faith  and  trust  in  their  hearts;  faith  in  themselves 
and  trust  in  the  Almighty  who  created  them. 

This  spot  is  particularly  well  known  to  me.  Mr. 
Miles  in  his  introduction  said  that  I  was  not  one 
of  the  first  families  of  Savanna,  but  my  ancestors 
date  back  to  tlie  year  1838  when  my  grandfather 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Jo  Daviess  County. 

When  I  was  two  years  old  my  father  bought  a 
little  house  which  is  located  in  this  same  block  and 
which  has  an  American  flag  hung  on  the  little  en- 
closed porch.  Here  is  where  I  lived  from  the  time 
I  was  two  years  old  until  I  was  ten,  and  I  knew, 
as  a  boy,  every  place  in  this  community.  I  knew 
every  hole  in  the  rocks  in  the  bluffs ;  I  knew  every 
vale  and  hill,  especially  the  Pinnacle.  I  knew  the 
place  where  the  flowers  grew  in  the  Spring,  and  I 
knew  the  places  where  I  could  find  the  fruit  in 
the  Fall.  This  was  a  paradise  to  me,  and  even  then 
— and  that  is  nearly  half  a  century  ago, — even 
then  this  place  was  so  much  different  than  it  is 
now.  There  were  only  a  few  houses;  the  house  in 
which  I  lived;  the  old  Dupuis  homestead  and  the 
old  Rhodes  homestead. 

[     96     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

Civilization  is  one  step  after  another.  The  pion- 
eer paves  the  way  for  a  succeeding  generation. 
The  succeeding  generation  and  succeeding  genera- 
tions gather  knowledge  and  experience  and  happi- 
ness from  the  experience  of  those  who  have  gone 
before.  The  pioneers  of  1828  who  paved  the  way 
were  composed  of  hardy  stock,  whose  courage, 
stamina  and  trust  and  faith  were  the  monuments 
upon  which  they  built.  The  people  of  Savanna 
today  can  take  increased  devotion  in  the  cause  to 
which  these  people  dedicated  their  lives.  They 
dedicated  themselves  to  the  home,  and  we,  our- 
selves, can  dedicate  anew  that  ideal  and  make  Sa- 
vanna a  wonderful  place  in  which  to  live. 

Today  I  am  thinking  particularly  about  two  in- 
dividuals who  are  my  friends.  I  refer  to  Mr. 
Frank  Pierce  Bowen  and  to  his  good  wife,  Alice. 
The  name  "Bowen"  and  the  name  " Pierce "  are 
most  familiar  names  in  the  history  and  progress  of 
Savanna.  The  youngest  of  the  four  children  of 
Aaron  Pierce,  who  came  with  him  in  1828,  was  the 
mother  of  Frank  Pierce  Bowen;  she  had  the  bur- 
den and  the  responsibility  of  the  Bowen  family 
and  the  moulding  of  their  future  character,  and 
the  teachings  of  that  good  woman  are  shown 
throughout  the  successive  generations  and  are 
shown  in  my  good  friend,  Frank  Pierce  Bowen, 
who  it  is  my  pleasure  to  know  full  well  as  a 
friend  and  as  a  companion. 

The  Bowens,  the  Pierces,  the  Rhodes,  the  Blun- 
dells,   the   Davidsons,   and   many     other   families — 
their  names  are  written  indelibly  upon  the   pages 
of  the  history  of  this  community. 
[     97     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

The  dream  of  Aaron  Pierce,  the  grandfather  of 
Frank  Pierce  Bowen,  was  to  blaze  a  trail  into  an 
unknown  country  where  he  could  worship  God  as 
he  pleased  and  have  a  home  for  his  children  and 
his  children's  children.  The  dream  of  Prank 
Pierce  Bowen,  the  grandson,  ever  since  I  have 
known  him,  has  been  to  make  the  community 
which  his  grandfather  founded  the  best  lighted 
community  in  the  United  States. 

When  we  are  talking  of  our  loyalty  to  the  pion- 
eers, let  us  not  forget  those  who  in  the  successive 
stages  of  life  took  up  the  burden  of  making  the 
world  a  better  world  in  which  to  live.  Everything 
in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  of  men,  has  been 
a  history  of  successive  stages.  The  steamboat,  lo- 
comotive, automobile  and  airplane,  in  their  original 
conceptions  were  but  ideas  and  crude  pieces  of 
mechanism.  The  pioneers  of  the  early  days  plant- 
ed the  idea  for  the  future  generations  to  take  up 
and  carry  on  and  to  refine.  The  pioneers  who 
sought  temporary  refuge  and  abode  on  the  spot 
which  this  monument  marks,  blazed  the  way  for  us 
so  that  we  might  carry  on  the  work  which  they 
originated.  Each  successive  generation  profits  by 
the  experience  of  the  generation  which  has  gone 
before.  Since  Aaron  Pierce  and  his  family  first 
occupied  this  spot,  five  generations  in  Savanna 
have  come  and  some  of  those  generations  have 
gone.  Today  we  pledge  anew  our  loyalty  and  our 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  Savanna  and  affection- 
ately bow  in  respect  to  those  sturdy  pioneers  who 
made  this  City  possible. 

[     98     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Mr.  Mayor  and  Citizens  of  Savanna :  In  behalf 
of  Mr.  Frank  Pierce  Bowen,  I  present  to  you  this 
monument  in  granite  and  bronze,  and  hope  and 
pray  that  its  inspiration  may  lead  us  on  to  better 
things  and  happier  lives  and  more  wonderful 
homes. 

Chairman  Mr.  Miles: 

It  is  customary  that  such  a  splendid  gift  should 
be  accepted  by  the  Mayor  of  the  City,  but  in  this 
case  it  is  most  appropriate  in  that  the  Mayor  is 
the  son  of  one  of  our  early  merchants — a  Savanna 
boy  educated  in  our  schools,  then  an  instructor  in 
the  same  schools,  a  capable  business  man  and  for 
many  terms  our  efficient  city  manager — Mayor 
Charles  N.  Jenks. 


[     99     ] 


ACCEPTANCE   OF    GIFT 


Response  by  Mayor  Jenks: 
Friends  and  Citizens  of  Savanna: 

I  do  not  know  whether  I  am  going  to  be  able  to 
say  just  the  right  thing  or  not  this  morning.  "What 
with  parades,  decorations  and  fire  works  and  cele- 
bration details  in  general,  and  the  emotions  which 
have  arisen  within  me  at  this  ceremony,  words  are 
not  going  to  come  very  easily.  When  I  think  that 
a  hundred  years  ago  a  little  baby  girl  about  a  year 
and  a  half  old  came  here  to  this  very  spot,  ap- 
proximately where  this  stone  stands,  and  lived  in 
this  vicinity  all  her  life,  one  cannot  help  but  feel 
a  thrill  of  emotion,  and  with  me  it  practically  stops 
a  fluent  flow  of  words  and  any  connected  line  of 
thought.  I  hope  you  feel  the  same  way  that  I  do 
so  you  can  sympathize  with  me,  and  I  want  you 
to  understand  that  if  I  don't  say  the  right  thing 
(and  it  is  going  to  be  very  brief),  you  will  know 
that  my  heart  is  in  the  right  place  anyway. 

It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  we 
have  been  told.  In  this  particular  instance  I  think 
it  is  about  fifty-fifty  with  the  giver  and  the  re- 
ceiver, because  I  know  the  donors  feel  the  full 
satisfaction  of  a  thing  well  done  and  one  that  is 
worthy,  and  I  know  the  recipients  have  the  same 
emotions. 


[      100      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

We  are  particularly  happy  today  in  being  able 
to  accept  this  magnificent  monument  which  rises 
on  this  spot — and  we  hope  and  trust  and  pray  that 
what  this  stone  symbolizes  now  will  reach  your 
innermost  hearts,  and  will  guide  your  future 
actions  so  that  whenever  you  pass  this  place  may 
it  cause  to  rise  within  your  hearts  and  minds  just 
the  thoughts  of  the  things  our  forefathers  went 
through  in  settling  this  country,  and  I  know  if  you 
will  permit  it  to  do  that,  you  will  all  become 
better  men  and  women  and  have  a  better  com- 
munity in  every  respect. 

I  am  going  to  tell  you  a  happy  secret — this  is 
my  birthday;  I  am  fifty  five  years  old  today.  I 
am  very  happy  to  be  able  to  accept,  on  behalf  of 
the  City  Council  of  the  City  of  Savanna  this  stone, 
and  I  want  to  add  this  to  all  of  the  very  fine 
things  that  have  been  said  about  Mr.  Bowen  and 
his  wife,  Alice  Bowen,  and  they  are  well  deserved 
and  merited — that  in  the  fifty  five  years  I  have 
lived  in  Savanna,  I  can  remember  back  when  I 
was  four  years  old,  but  I  do  not  ever  recall  where 
the  City  of  Savanna  has  ever  received  a  single, 
solitary  thing  from  anybody  that  amounted  to 
over  a  dollar  or  a  dollar  and  fifty  cents,  except 
the  library ;  every  piece  of  paving,  every  thing  we 
have  in  this  town  the  people  have  gone  down  into 
their  pockets  and  have  paid  for  and  this  is  the 
first  occasion  in  the  hundred  years  of  our  existence 
that  anybody  has  seen  fit  to  donate  or  give  this 
town  a  single,  solitary  thing  outside  of  the  Car- 
negie  Library   and   we   had   to   give   Mr.    Carnegie 

[     101     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

about   fifty-fifty,   when  we    got   that,   and   ''Uncle 
Sam"  the  same  way. 

We  can  be  particularly  grateful  to  these  folks 
who  have  given  us  a  monument  which  will  endure 
for  years  and  which  is  worthy  of  our  whole  heart- 
ed acceptance,  and  I  again  say,  on  behalf  of  the 
City  Council,  which  I  represent,  and  the  Citizens 
cf  Savanna,  we  graciously  and  gratefully  accept 
this  marker,  and  I  hope  we  promise  to  maintain 
this  spot  forever  in  its  beauty  and  in  its  security. 
I  thank  you. 

Mr.  Miles: 

I  am  sure  that  everybody  here,  just  like  me, 
would  like  a  glimpse  of  the  man  who  has  made 
this  marker  possible.  It  is  a  splendid  addition  to 
Savanna  beauty  spots  and  in  years  to  come  will 
be  a  shrine  for  beauty  lovers.  This  man  has  a 
wife,  and  she  has  been  the  historian  for  this  Cen- 
tennial. She  has  gathered  the  early  recollections 
of  the  history  that  has  been  given  to  her.  Mr. 
Bowen  and  his  wife  are  so  modest  that  they  have 
been  given  no  place  on  the  platform  or  on  the  pro- 
gram, but  I  am  going  to  ask  them  to  stand  up,  and 
perhaps  Mr.  Bowen  will  say  a  few  words  to  us  all. 

Response  by  Mr.  Bowen. 

Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

You  have  perhaps  noticed  that  my  better  half  is 
a  little  bit  more  modest  than  I  am,  but  I  just  want 
to  say  this,  that  I  am  very  grateful  for  your 
presence  here  today  to  attend  this  ceremony;  that 

[     102     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

I  want  to  thank  the  people  who  have  taken  part, 
who  have  helped  me  to  bring  about  this  occasion, 
and,  particularly,  do  I  want  to  thank  the  adjoin- 
ing property  owners  and  the  officials  of  the  City 
of  Savanna  for  the  co-operation  in  my  behalf  in 
securing  this  site.  It  was  necessary,  as  you  proba- 
bly know,  to  have  this  spot  vacated  in  order  that 
it  might  be  turned  over  to  the  Park  Board,  who 
are  to  keep  it  in  perpetuity,  and  that  was  the  ob- 
ject of  locating  the  monument  as  it  is  now  located, 
and,  fortunately,  upon  the  spot  where  my  mother, 
by  a  little  sketch  and  also  by  word  of  mouth,  told 
me  of  the  wigwam  that  her  parents  lived  in. 

There  is  just  one  more  word  I  want  to  say  in 
regard  to  the  monument.  While  it  is  erected  in 
the  memory  of  my  mother,  I  feel  that  it  is  dedi- 
cated to  all  of  the  Pioneers,  not  only  of  Savanna, 
but  of  the  entire  Mississippi  Valley.  Those  people 
who  with  that  indomitable  courage,  who  with 
toil  and  sacrifice  laid  the  foundation  (as  I  look  at 
it)  for  the  prosperity  that  we  are  of  the  present 
generation  now  enjoying.  I  thank  you. 

Mr.  Miles: 

Friends,  one  of  the  strongest  words  in  the  Eng- 
lish language  or  any  other  language,  is  that  of 
"home".  Most  of  us  here,  now  or  at  some  time 
in  the  past,  have  been  brought  to  call  Savanna  our 
home,  and  so  it  is  ^very  fitting  that  the  next  num- 
ber on  the  program  is  that  lovely  little  poem  by 
Edgar  A.  Guest,  "It  takes  a  heap  o'  livin'  to  make 
a  place  called  home,"  read  by  Mrs.  Virgil  Marth. 

[     103     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Mr.  Miles: 

I  am  sure  that  everyone  here  has  greatly  enjoy- 
ed these  impressive  dedicatory  exercises.  Savanna 
will  ever  be  proud  of  this  memorial  marker  and 
long  remember  its  donors.  We  hope  that  the 
words  here  spoken  and  thoughts  here  expressed 
will  be  as  seeds  sown  in  the  minds  of  those  pres- 
ent, that  will  ripen  into  full  bloom  and  fruit,  in 
our  actions  and  in  our  lives  in  the  golden  days 
yet  to  come. 

Prayer  by  Rev.  Pond. 

Selection  by  Band. 


Descendants    Attending 

Many  descendants  of  that  first  family  who  oc- 
cupied the  old  Indian  wigwam  were  present  at  the 
ceremony  of  the  dedication  of  the  Memorial  Mark- 
er. Of  the  other  two  families  who  arrived  here 
the  same  day,  the  Davidsons  and  the  Blundells,  no 
representatives  of  either  family  could  be  present, 
although  there  are  many  of  them  living  in  Califor- 
nia and  the  other  western  states,  even  unto  the 
sixth  generation. 

The  first  family  and  the  descendants  and  those 
in  attendance  are  given  as  follows: 

Aaron  Pierce — Born  1793,  Massachusetts !  died 
1856,  Savanna. 

Harriet  Bellows  Pierce — Born  1798,  Massachu- 
setts; died  1860,  Savanna. 

[     104     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Children — Marshall  Brooks,  Harriet,  Lorenzo 
Dow,  Sila  Caroline,  Mary  Jane,  born  here,  Henry 
Clay,  born  here,  Lenora,  born  here. 

Those  attending  from  the  family  of  Marshall 
Brooks  Pierce  were  Orrin  Pierce,  of  Minneapolis, 
Mrs.  Harriet  Pierce  Pond  of  Chicago,  her  son,  Rev. 
Walter  S.  Pond,  her  daughter,  Sara  Pond  Torrance 
and  granddaughter,  Harriet  Pond  Allee. 

Also  from  the  family  of  Marshall  Brooks  Pierce 
were  Mrs.  Belle  Fish  Hammond  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  May  Hammond  Wolf,  of  Mount  Carroll  and 
Ira  Fish  of  Savanna. 

The  family  of  Lorenzo  Dow  Pierce  was  repre- 
sented by  Alfred  M.  Pierce  with  his  wife  and  two 
little  daughters. 

The  family  of  Sila  Pierce  Bowen  represented 
by  her  son,  F.  P.  Bowen  and  by  her  only  grand- 
daughter, Mrs.  Louise  Bowen  Hyler. 

The  Rhodes  family,  children,  grandchildren  and 
great  grandchildren,  was  well  represented.  Henry 
C.  Rhodes,  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Louise  Rhodes  Law, 
and  her  three  little  sons,  Richard  Rhodes  Law, 
Robert  Henry  Law  and  tiny  Jason  Pierce  Law 
who  unveiled  the  marker. 

John  B.  Rhodes  and  his  grandson,  James  Cham- 
bers Jr.,   represented   that   family. 

Thomas  B.  Rhodes  of  Mount  Carroll  was  present 
and  with  him  his  daughter,  Mabel  Rhodes  Miles 
and  her  little  daughter,  Mary  Jean  Miles,  and  his 

[     105     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

grandsons,  Fred  Rhodes  Jr.  and  Thomas,  all  of  the 
fifth  generation. 

Monday  Afternoon 
An  immense  crowd  gathered  in  the  Lincoln 
School  grounds  to  hear  an  address  which  was 
given  by  former  Governor  Harding  of  Iowa.  The 
speaker  touched  upon  subjects  uppermost  in  the 
nation's  minds  today,  and  with  humorous  stories 
and  comments  compared  the  present  times  with 
the  time  that  is  past.  This  speech  was  much  en- 
joyed by  all  who  heard  him. 

This  was  followed  by  a  concert  given  by  the 
Bachman  Band,  and  other  entertainment  provided 
for  the  occasion. 

In  the  evening  there  were  vaudeville  acts  in  the 
school  yard  and  many  attractions  on  Main  Street. 
But  a  severe  storm  came  on  and  the  strong  wind 
and  downpour  of  rain  sent  every  one  scurrying 
home  and  thus  ended  the  second  day  of  our  Cen- 
tennial celebration. 


[     106     ] 


THE    BIG    PARADE 

Tuesday,   August   21 

'UESDAY  morning  dawned  bright  and  fair  after 
the  storm  and  activities  began  early.  The 
forenoon  was  given  over  to  general  visiting  and 
homecoming  wherever  people  met  and  the  Library 
was  the  gathering  place  for  visitors  and  friends. 

Large  crowds  passed  up  and  down  Main  Street 
during  the  morning  looking  at  the  wonderful  dis- 
play of  curios,  antiques  and  relics  which  were  be- 
ing shown  in  all  the  store  windows.  No  one  ever 
dreamed  that  such  a  rare  collection  could  be  found 
within  our  own  city. 

Products  of  the  looms  of  the  Pioneers,  also  the 
looms  themselves,  articles  of  great  antiquity  dis- 
played by  citizens,  which  were  brought  here  by 
foreign  born  parents,  crude  farm  implements  and 
household  articles ;  there  were  so  many  valuable 
articles  brought  to  light,  it  would  take  a  whole 
book  to  enumerate  them. 

All  day  and  evening  during  the  four  days  of  the 
celebration  the  display  was  a  drawing  attraction, 
and  gave  the  present  generation  a  glimpse  of  the 
past  in  many  relics  of  the  household. 

There  were  books,  especially  rare  Bibles,  more 
than  a  hundred  years  old,  rare  old  pictures  and 
pieces  of  furniture,  together  with  old  fashioned 
clocks,  watches  and  jewelry.  There  were  guns  and 

[     107     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

pistols  and  swords  for  war  times,  and  pots  and 
pans  and  kettles  for  times  of  peace.  The  Pioneers 
did  not  neglect  the  comfort  of  their  children  as 
the  display  of  homemade  cradles,  buggies  and 
sleighs  would  indicate. 

The  Library  had  an  interesting  collection  of  pic- 
tures of  the  old  settlers,  rare  old  dishes  and  many 
valuable  old  books.  Such  a  wealth  of  keepsakes  as 
was  displayed  would  fill  a  museum. 

But  as  the  morning  advanced,  from  behind 
closed  doors  came  much  mysterious  hammering 
and  silent  figures  were  seen  darting  in  and  out 
of  backdoors  and  alleyways  as  preparations  were 
made  for  the  grand  Historical  and  Civic  Parade 
to  be  given  in  the  afternoon. 

The  Parade 
As  the  time  approached  the  hour  set  for  the 
Historical  Pageant,  the  streets  were  thronged  with 
spectators  the  entire  length  of  the  line  of  march. 
Boy  Scouts  were  everywhere  in  evidence,  directing 
traffic. 

When  the  Parade  got  into  full  swing  headed  by 
Patrol  Officer  Eber  Shephard  and  by  Chief  of 
Police  Henry  Truninger,  the  citizens  and  visitors 
realized  that  never  before  in  the  history  of  Sa- 
vanna had  such  a  magnificent  affair  been  attempt- 
ed. Nothing  but  co-operation  and  concerted  action 
could  have  produced  such  a  beautiful  and  harmon- 
ious result. 

It  will  not  be  possible  within  the  limit   of  this 
[     108     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

book  to  give  each  and  every  one  the  praise  due 
them,  but  the  Times- Journal  of  the  date  August  22 
has  been  filed  in  the  Library,  and,  also  the  article 
describing  the  Parade  has  been  placed  in  the  Cen- 
tennial scrap  book  and  will  also  be  on  file. 

As  the  Parade  marched  slowly  north  on  Third 
Street  it  was  greeted  on  all  sides  with  enthusias- 
tic cheers  and  handclapping. 

The  Indians  on  horseback,  the  Indians  walking, 
the  Pioneers  in  wagons,  Pioneer  ladies  in  historic 
costumes,  the  circuit  riders,  the  old  log  cabin,  the 
little  stone  school  house,  Father  Marquette,  and 
Pioneer  belles  in  hoopskirts  and  wearing  little  hats 
of  olden  times,  had  all  been  reproduced  with 
painstaking   care. 

The  industrial  floats  were  all  designed  to  repre- 
sent the  changes  which  one  hundred  years  have 
made  in  occupations,  mail  carrying,  farming, 
lighting,  costumes,  firefighting  and  building,  and 
were  all  artistically  and  harmoniously  decorated. 

The  railroads  took  an  active  part  in  the  Pageant. 
The  C.  M.  St.  P.  and  P.  employes  prepared  an  en- 
gine bearing  the  date,  1862,  which  was  the  date  of 
the  completion  of  Plum  River  bridge  and  the  first 
train  to  run  into  Savanna. 

The  C.  B.  and  Q.  railroad  produced  a  miniature 
train  from  somewhere  and  created  quite  a  sensa- 
tion when  it  formed  part  of  the  parade,  loaded 
down  with  children. 

But  the  surprise  came  when  Washington  Town- 
ship, whose  history  is  so  closely  linked  with  that 
of  Savanna,  came  into  the  parade  with  a  real 
[     109     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

" prairie  schooner,"  pioneers  with  children,  In- 
dians, and  not  forgetting  the  dog  tied  under  the 
wagon.  This  was  carried  out  by  the  Washington 
Community  Club. 

A  special  feature  of  the  parade  which  appealed 
to  the  throngs  of  spectators,  was  an  automobile 
carrying  the  last  surviving  members  of  Savanna's 
corps  of  the  old  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
Only  five  of  the  "Boys  of  '61  were  left  to  receive 
the  applause  as  their  car  moved  along  in  the  line. 
Those  veterans  who  occupied  the  car  were  J.  P 
Plattenberger,  Bernard  C.  Holland,  John  Handel, 
John  Albright  and  C.  Dickinson. 

Another  car  which  received  much  attention  was 
one  in  which  were  seated  the  four  oldest  living 
descendants  of  the  early  pioneers.  They  were 
Thomas  C.  Jenks,  Henry  C.  Rhodes,  L.  S.  Bowen, 
and  Orrin  Pierce.  Dressed  in  old  fashioned  broad- 
cloth suits,  with  high  silk  hats  and  other  ancient 
adornment,  they  made  an  imposing  representation 
of  the  aristocracy  of  the  days  of  long  ago. 

The  American  Legion  float  with  its  field  of 
poppies  and  the  Red  Cross  nurse,  the  fire  truck 
from  Mt.  Carroll  carrying  members  of  the  band, 
the  float  of  the  Commerce  Association,  carrying 
the  key  to  the  City,  and  lastly,  the  boy  with  the 
goat  and  the  cart  were  cheered  all  along  the  line. 

As  the  long  Pageant  proceeded  down  Main 
Street  where  they  disbanded,  nothing  but  praise 
was  heard  on  all  sides,  and  the  event  passed  into 
the  history  of  Savanna  as  the  Day  of  the  Big 
Parade. 

[     HO     ] 


A**3*»^»^»^»^*»3^frfr**frfrfrf**f^*frg»g^ 


THE  PIONEER  MEMORIAL 

Wednesday,   August    22 

EDNESDAY  morning  had  been  set  aside  for 
the  Pioneer  memorial  which  had  been  ar- 
ranged to  be  held  in  the  Savanna  Township  Ceme- 
tery. 

As  the  hour  arrived,  a  large  number  of  relatives 
and  friends  gathered  in  the  cemetery  to  take  part 
in  honoring  the  memory  of  the  founders  of  our 
City  who  are  sleeping  in  the  quiet  of  their  last 
resting  place. 

The  History  and  Marker  committee  had  marked 
the  graves  of  all  the  Pioneers  who  had  settled  in 
Savanna  before  the  year  1850. 

The  white  ribbon  markers  which  bore  the  in- 
scription 1828 — Pioneer — 1850  gave  silent  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  those  early  Pioneers  who  strug- 
gled through  the  first  hard  years  of  the  settle- 
ment and  then  passed  the  work  along  to  those 
who  came  after. 

And  as  the  descendents  of  those  brave  old  set- 
tlers looked  around  at  the  fluttering  little  em- 
blems, and  read  the  names  carved  on  the  time- 
worn  stones,  they  greeted  as  old  friends  the  names 
of  the  long  list  of  Pioneers  whose  fortunes  have 
been  told  in  the  early  story  of  Savanna. 

Many    graves   were    remembered    with    the    little 

[     Hi     1 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

markers   whose   occupants   had  been   forgotten  for 
many  years. 

With  feelings  of  reverence  and  awe,  the  visitors 
to  the  cemetery  that  morning,  gathered  near  the 
Chapel  and  listened  to  the  program  which  had 
been  arranged. 

The  program  opened  with  the  singing  of  the 
song  "Crossing  the  Bar"  by  a  male  quartette 
consisting  of  J.  L.  Brearton,  Paul  K.  Miles,  R.  G. 
Fuller  and  Will  Kauck. 

Prayer  was  given  by  the  Rev.  Walter  Shoe- 
maker Pond. 

Mrs.  B.  E.  Fuller  gave  a  short  reading  from  the 
poems  of  Angie  Fuller  Fisher,  called  Wondering. 

This  number  was  followed  by  the  names  of  the 
Pioneers  whose  graves  had  been  marked,  read  by 
Mrs.  F.  P.  Bowen. 

The  list  of  names  numbered  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty -five ;  and  it  had  taken  the  committee 
several  weeks  to  compile  the  list  from  old  ceme- 
tery records,  the  old  Carroll  County  history,  and 
from  relatives  living  in  this  vicinity.  This  num- 
ber did  not  include  the  names  of  many  children 
born  to  the  families  and  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  memorial  address  was  given  by  the  Hon. 
John  L.  Brearton  and  is  included  in  this  record 
of  the  Centennial  celebration. 

Mr.  Brearton  said  in  part : 

We    are    engaged   in   celebrating   the    completion 
of  the   first  one   hundred   j^ears   of   the   history   of 
[     112     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

the  City  of  Savanna.  It  was  fitting  that  the  first 
of  the  four  days  of  this  celebration  should  be  the 
Sabbath  Day,  because  any  community  that  has 
prospered  and  is  happy  at  the  end  of  its  first  cen- 
tury owes  much  to  the  religious  activities  of  its 
people  and  the  God  whom  they  have  worshiped. 

It  was  also  appropriate  that  last  Monday  morn- 
ing we  gathered  at  the  monument  erected  to  mark 
the  spot  where  the  first  settlers  established  their 
abiding  place,  and  conducted  a  program  which  re- 
called that  incident  vividly  to  our  attention. 

Now,  on  the  last  of  the  days  set  apart  for  these 
anniversary  programs,  we  are  met  at  this  chapel, 
erected  in  this  beautiful  cemetery,  to  do  honor  to 
the  memory  of  those  who  first  came  to  Savanna 
and  proceeded  to  lay  the  foundation  on  which  this 
community  has  been  established,  and  who  have 
passed  to  the  Great  Beyond  and  whose  burial 
places  are  in  this  City  of  the  Dead.  It  was  a 
divinely  inspired  thought  that  brought  us  to  this 
place  on  this  day,  during  the  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing, when  all  nature  seems  to  join  with  us  so  per- 
fectly and  so  beautifully,  to  conduct  this  Memori- 
al service.  Our  words  are  being  translated  into 
the  songs  of  the  birds  in  the  trees  surrounding  us, 
and  are  wafted  on  the  breeze,  warmed  by  the 
glorious  sunshine  of;  this  morning,  to  the  place 
where  are  the  souls  of  those  whom  we  honor  .this 
hour. 

No  structure  can  be  more  enduring  than  its 
foundation.     No  community  can  be  better  than  its 

[     113     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

average  citizen.  We  are  what  we  are  today,  there- 
fore, because  those  who  came  here  and  laid  our 
foundation  builded  wisely  and  well. 

Prom  1828  to  1850  is  a  span  of  years  about 
equal  in  number  to  the  years  during  which  a 
young  man  is  preparing  himself  to  assume  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  manhood.  As,  dur- 
ing these  years  of  prei>aration,  the  growing  boy 
determines  by  industry  and  education  the  char- 
acter of  the  man  he  is  to  be,  so  these  early  settlers, 
by  enduring  hardships  and  overcoming  every  dif- 
ficulty during  these  first  years,  shaped  and  chart- 
ed the  future  of  Savanna.  Each  one  either  wrote 
a  line,  a  paragraph  or  a  chapter  in  the  story  of 
our  first  century.  There  was  work  of  all  kinds  to 
be  done,  and  there  was  some  one  to  do  it. 

In  my  work  as  a  lawyer  it  has  been  necessary 
frequently  to  examine  the  record  of  the  land  titles 
as  they  appear  in  the  books  in  the  Recorder's 
office  at  Mount  Carroll.  Through  this  investiga- 
tion we  find  prominently  identified  with  the  be- 
ginning of  the  titles  to  the  lands  on  which  we 
have  built  our  city  such  names  as  Vance  L.  David- 
son, Elijah  Bellows,  Luther  H.  Bowen,  William 
Blundell,  Royal  Cooper,  Reuben  H.  Gray,  Henry 
B.  Harmon,  Nathan  K.  Lord,  John  Fuller,  Henry 
Clay  Hunter,  a  surveyor,  and  many  others.  This 
circumstance  is  mentioned  to  show  that  one  who  has 
lived  among  you  no  longer  than  the  last  twenty- 
five  years  of  the  century  just  closing,  knows  some- 
what of  the  importance  of  these  men  to  this  com- 
munity in  which  they  labored  so  many  years.    You 

[     U4     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

can  recall  the  names  of  many  other  men,  as  easily 
and  as  pleasantly,  who  are  entitled  to  our  words 
of  appreciation  on  this  occasion.  We  are  not  un- 
mindful of  the  women  of  those  days  who  served  so 
faithfully  in  their  homes.  The  character  of  the 
women  who  makes  the  home  determines,  to  a 
great  extent,  the  kind  of  home  over  which  she 
presides.  The  character  of  the  homes  in  any  com- 
munity determines  the  heigh th  to  which  such  a 
community  can  go  morally,  socially  and  in  its 
civic  life.  We  can  here  and  now  truthfully  pay 
a  glowing  tribute  to  the  women  of  the  early  days 
of  Savanna. 

As  the  years  have  rolled  by,  many  honest 
differences  of  opinion  have  arisen  between  us,  but 
the  inherent  common  sense,  good  judgment  and 
f  air  mind  edness  of  our  people  have  been  such  that 
the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  native  and  the  foreign 
born,  the  white  and  the  black,  the  old  and  the 
young,  have  lived  together  in  peace  and  harmony, 
and  I  call  to  your  attention  as  evidence  of  this 
condition,  the  fact  that  the  fence  which  stood  for 
many  years  between  these  two  cemeteries,  Catholic 
and  Protestant,  has  now  been  removed,  and  all  is 
peace  between  those  who  are  here  to  sleep  etern- 
ally as  it  was  in  the  days  of  their  active  life. 

The  founders  of  our  City  selected  with  great 
wisdom  the  location  for  their  future  homes  when 
they  decided  to  remain  under  the  shelter  of  the 
imposing  bluffs   beside   the   mighty   Mississippi. 

During    all    the     intervening     years,     the     Great 
[     U5     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Father  of  those  who  preceded  them  here  has 
caused  a  sentinel  to  remain  near  by  to  watch  over 
them,  and  proudly  and  majestically  has  this  sen- 
tinel held  aloft  his  "Indian  Head,"  while  beside 
him,  carved  from  the  everlasting;  rocks,  stands 
the  "Twin  Sisters,"  who  now  suggest  to  us  we 
cultivate  such  a  spirit  of  friendship  as  will  con- 
tribute to  our  mutual  welfare.  Beside  them  is  the 
"Open  Bible"  from  which,  just  as  the  Father  of 
Waters  flowing  close  by  to  the  Gulf  has  drawn 
from  an  inexhaustible  source,  we  have  received  an 
inspiration  for  righteousness  that  has  made  us 
what  we  are  today — a  God  loving,  happy  and 
prosperous   Savanna. 

We   are  reminded"  Longfellow   said : 

"Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  me, 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 

And   in   parting,   leave   behind   us, 

Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

So  as  we  leave  this  place,  sacred  to  the  memory 
of  other  days,  let  us  remember  that  we,  too,  like 
those  who  have  gone  before  us,  will  sooner  or 
later  be  (in  the  words  of  a  song  we  learned  in  our 
youth)  : 

"Fading  away  like  stars  of  the  morning, 
Losing  their  light  in  the  glorious  sun, 
Thus  will  we  pass,  from  the  earth  and  its  toiling, 
Only  remembered  by  what  we  have  done." 

After  the  address  the  audience  joined  in  singing 
Auld   Lang    Syne,  which    was    followed    by    taps 

E     116     ] 


THE      STORY      OP      SAVANNA 

sounded  by  Dick  Fuller,  after  which  the  Rev. 
Walter  S.  Pond  dismissed  the  assembly  with  the 
benediction. 

And  thus  came  to  an  end  the  most  impressive 
and  heartfelt  ceremony  ever  held  in  the  cemetery, 
and  the  only  tribute  ever  paid  the  Pioneers  them- 
selves alone,   in  the  century  which  has  passed. 

As  the  friends  left  the  grounds  in  quiet  and  sub- 
dued little  groups,  and  passed  out  through  the 
beautiful  new  gates  which  have  just  been  erected, 
there  was  a  feeling  that  the  Pioneer  Memorial  had 
been  one  of  the  outstanding  features  of  the  Cen- 
tennial. 


[     117     ] 


CLOSING  EVENTS  OF  CENTENNIAL 

ONTINUING  the  program  which  had  been 
planned  for  the  grand  celebration,  on  the 
afternoon  of  this  fourth  day,  Richard  Yates, 
former  Governor  of  Illinois,  delivered  an  address 
in  the  Lincoln  school  grounds  which  drew  forth 
much  praise  from  the  large  assembly. 

The  Lanark  community  school  band,  under  the 
direction  of  Miss  Beth  Hower,  was  a  feature  of 
the  afternoon. 

As  we  neared  the  end  of  the  celebration  in  honor 
of  our  hundredth  birthday,  the  people  were  still 
untired,  as  they  thronged  the  streets  until  a  late 
hour  on  the  last  night.  Visiting,  dancing,  and 
merrymaking  held  sway  and  the  entire  population 
was  loath  to  give   up  the  festivities. 

And  thus  ended  the  Centennial  ceremonies  to 
which  all  had  looked  forward  for  many  months. 

There  could  be  no  finer  eulogy  written  of  the 
Centennial  than  that  which  appeared  in  an 
editorial  in  the  Times-Journal  of  Monday,  August 
20,  1928.  In  this  article  the  former  editor  and 
resident  of  Savanna,  Wm.  H.  Gharrity,  forcibly  ex- 
pressed the  importance  of  observing  such  a  vital 
date  in  our  history.  We  will  let  it  speak  for  itself. 

A   Tribute   and  an   Obligation 

Savanna's   Centennial,  which   opened   so   auspici- 
[     U8     ] 


THE       STORY       OF       SAVANNA 

ously  yesterday,  has  a  two-fold  objective. 

During  the  four  days  of  Centennial  ceremonies, 
this  community  is  proud  and  happy  to  pay  sincere 
tribute  to  the  iron-souled  men  and  women  who 
blazed  the  wilderness  trails  to  establish  the  first 
settlement  here. 

And  during  these  four  days,  this  community  will 
find  fresh  inspiration  and  renewed  civic  spirit  to 
face  the  problems  of  the  Savanna  of  tomorrow. 

The  pioneer  settlers  of  Savanna  were  part  and 
parcel  of  that  sturdy  and  independent  race  who 
pushed  across  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  and  down 
the  Cumberland  gap,  or  who  followed  the  Ohio 
and  its  tributaries  into  the  great  Mississippi  val- 
ley. They  were  part  and  parcel  of  that  race  of 
empire  builders  who  wrestled  this  vast  inland 
domain  from  the  wilderness  and  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  the  United  States  of  America  of  today 
which  is  the  hope  and  the  inspiration  and  the 
envy  and  despair  of  civilized  man  all  over  this 
world  of  ours. 

They  were  a  race  of  strong  men  and  strong 
women.  They  were  strong  of  body  and  strong  of 
soul  and  the  weak  had  no  place  in  their  ranks. 
Privations  and  hardships  which  would  wreck  the 
modern  man  and  woman  were  commonplace  events 
in  their  lives.  They  knew  high  adventure,  where 
the  stakes  were  human  life  and  death  was  the 
penalty  for  any  mistake. 

These  men  and  women  did  not  seek  the  perils 
of  the  wilderness  for  material  comfort   or  wealth. 

[      U9      ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

On  the  contrary,  they  left  these  things  behind 
when  they  set  their  faces  toward  the  west.  What 
they  wanted  was  "elbow-room"  and  homes  of 
their  own  where  they  could  enjoy  individual 
liberty  and  equal  opportunity  to  live  their  lives  as 
they  saw  fit. 

But  there  must  have  been  something  more  than 
even  the  love  of  free  souls  for  freedom  in  the  urge 
that  sent  these  pioneers  out  into  the  wild  places 
of  the  open  west.  Down  deep  in  the  hearts  of  all 
was  the  earnest  desire  to  break  the  trails  for  their 
children  and  their  children's  children  that  they 
might  enjoy  the  richness  of  life  and  its  abundance 
in  the  new  places  made  ready  for  them. 

Here  in  Savanna,  the  children  and  the  children 
of  the  children  of  the  pioneers  are  expressing 
something  of  their  sense  of  obligation  to  the 
fathers  of  this  community  in  the  Centennial  cele- 
bration this  week.  One  hundred  years  is  only  a 
short  time  in  the  life  of  a  nation.  It  is  merely  a 
passing  milestone  in  the  history  of  the  race. 

But  in  observing  the  Centennial  of  its  birth  this 
week,  Savanna  is  also  taking  stock  of  the  richest 
and  most  extraordinary  century  of  all  human 
progress.  The  men  and  women  of  early  Savanna 
had  the  faith  and  devotion  which  enabled  them  to 
glimpse  something  of  the  tremendous  future  of 
this  republic.  It  was  this  splendid  vision  of  theirs 
that  carried  them  through  the  perils  and  priva- 
tions of  pioneer  life  and  it  is  to  this  faith  and 
vision  that  the  Savanna  of  today  does  homage  this 
week. 

[     120     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

When  we  look  back  on  the  century  that  has 
closed,  when  we  realize  that  we  have  progressed 
further  during  the  last  hundred  years  in  the  ma- 
terial comforts  of  life  than  in  all  the  centuries 
that  man  records,  we  are  able  to  turn  to  the  future 
with  renewed  inspiration  and  courage  and  confi- 
dence. If  the  last  two  or  three  generations  have 
been  able,  despite  all  their  handicaps  to  build  a 
mighty  empire  out  of  wilderness,  what  may  their 
sons  and  daughters  accomplish  in  the  next  two 
generations.  And  this  is  particularly  true  here  in 
Savanna,  where  real  community  spirit  abounds 
despite   occasional   neighborly   differences. 

Let  us  take  stock  of  ourselves  this  week.  Let 
us  look  back  and  measure  the  things  that  have 
been  accomplished  in  the  century  whose  close  we 
are  observing  so  fittingly.  Let  us  realize  that  our 
fathers  and  their  fathers  could  never  have  builded 
this  thriving  and  prosperous  little  city  of  five 
thousand  people  unless  they  had  possessed  abund- 
ant courage  and  real  loyalty  each  to  the  other. 
And  let  us  realize,  above  all,  that  when  these 
sturdy  pioneers  were  building  this  city,  they  were 
building  for  themselves,  but  they  were  also  build- 
ing for  us.  We  are  trying  this  week  to  pay  them 
the  tribute  due  them  but  we  are  also  renewing  our 
sense  of  obligation  to  them.  We  have  inherited 
from  them  the  material  comforts  they  gathered 
for  us.  We  have  inherited  something  of  their  fine 
devotion  and  splendid  vision.  And  we  have  also 
inherited  a  debt,  and  an  obligation  to  carry  on  and 
build  a  better  and  finer  Savanna  in  the  years  to 

[     121     ] 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

come.  By  doing  that  we  can  best  prove  worthy 
sons  and  daughters  of  a  race  that  has  passed  with 
the  opening  of  the  last  frontier. 


With  the  rounding  out  of  the  first  hundred 
years  of  Savanna's  history  we  reach  the  end  of 
the  story.  Having  chronicled  the  first  few  years 
of  her  settlement  and  growth,  it  appealed  to  me  to 
give  the  end  of  the  century  which  culminated  in 
the  Centennial   celebration. 

The  "years  between"  were  filled  with  many 
events  of  world  interest  and  it  is  hoped  some  one 
will  preserve  this  part  of  our  history  for  the  gen- 
erations of  the  coming  years. 

"A  century  from  now 

Whose  lips  will  speak  our  name? 
Whose  heart  exult  that  we 

To  earth  as  dwellers  came? 

Time  will  move  on  the  same 
The  sun  will  rise  and  set, 

And  others  praise  or  blame. 
Remember  and  forget." 

THE   END 


THE      STORY      OF      SAVANNA 

Contents 

Page 

The  Coming  of  the  Pioneers,   9 

Founding    the    Home,    17 

The  Black    Hawk    War,    24 

The  Settlement,    31 

Laying  out  the  Town,    39 

Building    Activities,    43 

The  First  Decade,   51 

Organization  of    Carroll    County,   55 

Pioneers  of   1840,    59 

The    Poll  Book  of    1846,   64 

Social  Life  of  the  Community,   68 

One  Hundred  Years  Later,   83 

Dedication    of  Pioneer    Monument,    86 

Program, 88 

Dedication  Address,    91 

Acceptance    of  Gift,   100 

Descendants    Attending,    104 

The    Big    Parade,    107 

The    Pioneer    Memorial,    Ill 

Closing    Events  of    Centennial 118 


